


In The Heart of Darkness-Book 1 (REGULAR UPDATES)

by edith681



Series: In the Heart of Darkness [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Anti-Hero, Baking, Best Friends, Bonding, Break Up, Brotherly Love, Chains, Chairs, Character Death, Control, Dark Past, Darkness, Death, Death Threats, Developing Friendships, Enemies to Friends, Epic Friendship, Evil, Evil Plans, F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasy, Fear, Fear of Death, Female Anti-Hero, Female Friendship, Fights, Forbidden Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Fun, Getting to Know Each Other, Hats, Horror, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Idols, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Killing, Loss of Control, Love, Male Bonding, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Mentor/Protégé, Mentor/Sidekick, Mentors, Minor Character Death, Minor Character(s), Near Death Experiences, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Character Death, Past Torture, Play Fighting, Power Imbalance, Powerlessness, Psychological Horror, Relationship(s), Romance, Romantic Friendship, Serial Killers, Team Bonding, Tragic Romance, Trust, Trust Issues, Villains, powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2018-10-22 01:58:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 51
Words: 115,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10687428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edith681/pseuds/edith681
Summary: Harvey joins a group of villains called Darkstar Corporations to help them win a fight against the good guys, but finds many more reasons to stay.





	1. Chapter 1-The Predator and the Prey

**Introduction**

 

**This is my little introduction. i know it doesn't seem like much, but it's all that it is. Harvey Wickston is my characteristic pride and joy, created by a mix of several different sources. I always wanted to have a group of villains and heroes in two competing agencies of my creation. It looks like it happened. Darkstar Corporations, the villains side, is the best. I've always favoured the villains, and i wanted to have a really cool group of my own. It started with Lois Thomas. By the way, his name is pronounced Lewis. The villains bring Harvey into their group in 1994, readily accepting him as a part of their group and an ultimate villain.**

 

 

**But what are his plans for Darkstar Corp? Is he going to betray them?**

 

**Then there's the heroes side. With Mayor Cannonball in the lead, the heroes will always win. Or will they? What's the real story with Cannonball and Harvey?**

 

**After Harvey steps in, the secrets start pouring out. Who is Twister in love with? What's up with Harvey and his brother? Why doesnt he want anyone to know about Trey? Is everything in place, or out of place?**

 

**Once again, the story is at the control of the writer's fingertips a.k.a. me. The pieces come together in an unlikely fashion, with more secrets than you can shake a stick at.**

 

**Most of this book is pure fiction, and i am not responsible for nightmares or any other effects of reading this book.**

 

**Here is your warning: This book is disturbing. It contains violent scenes, sometimes with lots of detail.**

 

**All of these characters are under copyright.**

 

**Copyright 2013**

 

**Okay, so that's it. Enjoy the book, and please comment and vote and all that stuff.**

 

**Vanellope Lockhart**

 

 

 

WARNING: THIS BOOK IS VERY SCARY. IT MAY CAUSE NIGHTMARES AND STUFF.

 

THERE IS ALSO SOME LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES AND CONTENT THAT MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE. BECAUSE OF THIS, IT HAS BEEN RATED PG14. ALSO, IF YOU ARE PRONE TO HEART ATTACKS AND STUFF, IT MAY BE BEST NOT TO READ THIS BOOK. DARKSTAR CORPORATIONS IS

NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LIABILITY, DEATH, OR THE FACT THAT YOUR 6-YEAR OLD CLIMBED UP ON A CHAIR AND TOOK THIS BOOK OFF THE TOP SHELF.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

 

OKAY, ENJOY.

 

Harvey Wickston was a killer. A cold-blooded killer. Whenever he itched to kill, he would go out on the town and see who's mind signal seemed the most promising. His favorite pasttime was using his powers to scare the hell out of people.

 

He was born in Almonte, and had been living there pretty much all his life. He loved the town.

 

It was 3:00 in the morning, and he was playing Mario Kart. He didn't need his powers to play the game, and didn't use them. It was a skill that ran in his veins. Actually, Harvey didn't really use his powers for much except to scare people, and, sometimes to catch his victims.

 

Harvey should have been asleep, except that he couldn't sleep. He was much too excited.

 

The first thing he was excited about was his birthday. In 9 days, he was going to be 36 years old. Harvey loved birthdays, or just parties in general.

 

The second thing he was excited about was a kill. There was a kid 2 doors down from him. The kid's name was Mick Henderson. Harvey had been scaring Mick for almost 9 weeks now. He did the usual stuff. He gave the kid nightmares and weird visions, made him hear voices, wrote things on the mirror in blood. He had scheduled the kill for tonight. He'd been locked onto the kid's mind signal all night. As soon as Mick got up, Harvey would make his move.

 

¥¥¥

 

Mick's house was big. Along one wall of it was the cabinet his parents had placed there for their son's accomplishments. There were things Mick was proud of. At age 12, Mick had beaten his dad at Monopoly. Mick was student council president last year. Mick was fifteen.

 

He woke up at 3:30 in the morning. It was his parents' anniversary, so they had gone to a hotel Friday evening, and would be coming home on Sunday morning. Mick was left to take care of himself.

 

He got up to get a Pepsi. It was his first night alone, and he was having fun.

 

Until he heard a voice.

 

"Hello, Mick."

 

Mick spun around. There was a man standing up against the wall.

 

"Hi," said Mick. "My parents are out of town, so if you're gonna rob the place, start with their room. That's where all the good stuff is."

 

Harvey stared at Mick with genuine interest. Then he said,"I'm not here to rob you."

 

"Good, cuz I wouldn't of let you. I know karate. I'll probably just put you in a stranglehold or something. Okay. I'm going to my room to call the police now."

 

Mick played it cool, but his mind signal told Harvey he was scared shitless.

 

Harvey followed the kid and tried to scare him some more.

 

"I put a karate instructor in a death grip when I was 8. I killed a teacher when I was 10. You don't even want to know how many people I've killed."

 

"I probably don't," said Mick casually, even though Harvey could tell that his ploy was working. "You sure killing all those people is something to be proud of?"

 

He said it the way a 6-year old might invite one of his friends to the arcade after school.

 

"Yup, I'm sure," said Harvey.

 

"Okay...okay. Did you ever beat your dad at Monopoly?"

 

"No, but I beat him at Mario Kart a lot."

 

"Well, have you mostly been killing people here in Almonte?"

 

"Mostly."

 

"Well, now we know where all those missing residents went to. I'll make sure to tell the police to come get you."

 

Then he picked up the phone. But Harvey had already thought of that, and disabled the phonelines.

 

"No signal," said Mick. "Damn."

 

Harvey chuckled. "You're not telling the police anything. You didn't really think I'd let you turn me in, did you?"

 

"Who are you, anyways?" asked Mick.

 

"My name is Harvey Wickston." Harvey chuckled again. "Do I detect a hint of fear?" His voice turned dark. "Maybe you're not as brave as you'd like to think you are. You're going to die tonight, Mick. I know you're scared, but don't worry. All my victems are scared of me. They should be," he said darkly.

 

Mick had started crying now. Harvey had known he could make the kid show his true feelings if he kept going. Harvey knew how to make anyone sick to their stomachs. If they weren't scared of him...well, there were ways.

 

Mick was really scared now, and Harvey was enjoying every minute of it. When his victims were full of fear, he was full of excitement.

 

"Leave me alone," Mick said, in a barely audible voice.

 

"Certainly," said Harvey darkly. "Right after your heart stops beating." Then he started laughing.

 

Mick ran for the door, but Harvey was faster. He pulled Mick down to the ground with him. As they went down, Mick pulled a tablecloth off the table nearest to him. He hoped to break the vase on top of it and alert the neighbors. Once again, Harvey was too quick. He caught the vase right before it hit the ground.

 

Then Harvey tied Mick's hands behind his back.

 

Mick tried to yell for help, but Harvey used his powers to mute the cry.

 

"Save your breath," he said. "You'll need it."

 

Mick tried to yell for help again, and once again, nothing came out.

 

"Shut up!" growled Harvey. "Everyone's trying to sleep."

 

"Let me go!" cried Mick.

 

"Shhhhh," said Harvey. "Okay, it's okay."

 

Mick remembered last week, when he'd woken up screaming from a terrible nightmare, and his girlfriend had been there to comfort him. He remembered how much better he'd felt afterwards, but there was something about Harvey doing it that only made the situation scarier for Mick. Which was, of course, Harvey's intention.

 

Mick started fighting for his life.

 

"Shhh. It's okay. Okay. Just relax."

 

Finally Mick stopped trying to fight and accepted whatever was coming. He just started crying. He tried not to show Harvey how scared he really was, even though he already knew.

 

"Okay," said Harvey. "There we go. That's it. Shhhh. That's a good boy."

 

Harvey took him to the curb where his car was parked. He put Mick in the back of the car, then got in the front.

 

He turned on the radio and started singing along to The Beatles.

 

Mick looked around. The streets were deserted. There was nobody to call out to. He felt helpless.

 

Harvey opened the window, still singing, "When I'm 64."

 

Mick heard a dog bark, and thought he heard someone yell something in Russian. This was all a nightmare, thought Mick. It's all just a nightmare.

 

"That's what a lot of people think," said Harvey suddenly.

 

"Huh?" said Mick, looking up, disturbed from his thoughts.

 

Harvey didn't say anything for a minute. He was fiddling with something in his lap. Then he put a Bluetooth on his ear.

 

"A lot of people think it's just a nightmare," Harvey repeated. "But they're wrong. It's how things work. You live. You die. Everybody dies eventually. Even I'm going to die. But not tonight. Tonight it's your turn."

 

"When I'm 64" ended, and "Replay" started.

 

"How did you know what I was thinking?" asked Mick, as the tears continued to roll down his cheeks.

 

"I can read people's minds. It's a very useful skill. Let me tell you, you're not the first of my victims to think this is a nightmare. In fact, a lot of my victims think it's a nightmare. Until the pain starts, that is."

 

"Pain?" asked Mick, in a scared voice. "What pain?"

 

"You'll see," said Harvey.

 

"Where are we going, anyway?" asked Mick.

 

"Somewhere where nobody can hear you scream," said Harvey, then laughed.

 

Mick started to panic again, but there was nothing he could do.

 

So instead he said, "Why me? I haven't done anything to you."

 

"I know."

 

Mick didn't say anything else. He just watched helplessly as Harvey answered his Bluetooth.

 

"Hello," said Harvey. "Oh, hey, Frank! You are? Oh, well, that's great! All right, I'll see you there. Okay, bye."

 

Then he hung up.

 

"Oh, perfect," said Harvey. "Here we are."

 

They were at an abandoned place. Mick wasn't really sure what the place was, but it looked like it used to be a corner store.

 

Harvey took Mick inside. Mick looked around. The store, or whatever it once was, was covered in cobwebs from floor to ceiling. Everything of value seemed to have been removed. The place looked to have been almost empty for quite some time now. All that was left was a chair, a broom, a cash register that looked like it was from old times, and a chocolate bar that was unopened. There was also a door that led to another part of the store, Mick thought. Or maybe it was a fire exit.

 

Almost everything had been removed from the store long ago. Whatever was left was completely valueless. To normal people, anyway. But not to Harvey. He tied Mick to the chair.

 

Then he put down his bag. He had a black bag that he had brought from the car. Mick had been too scared to ask what was in it, but now he started wondering again and his heart started pounding.

 

Mick watched in horror as Harvey put some tools out on the floor. They looked like torture devices. Mick's heart was pounding like crazy, and then he started crying again. He was afraid of what his captor was going to do to him. Which was, of course, exactly what Harvey wanted. He could tell he was really going to enjoy this.

 

"What are you going to do to me?" whispered Mick.

 

"Oh, don't worry," replied Harvey. "I'm just going to have a little fun, is all."

 

Mick started struggling and fighting like crazy again.

 

He screamed again, even though he knew it was hopeless. He started yelling at the top of his lungs. To his surprise, something actually came out. Mick screamed again.

 

"HELP!!" he yelled. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!"

 

Harvey chuckled darkly.

 

"You can scream all you want out here," he said. "Nobody can hear you."

 

Mick was crying. "No," he whispered. "No. Don't do this."

 

"Shh. It's okay. There's nothing to be scared of. It's just pain. That's it. That's a good boy. Now close your eyes, Mick. Shhhh, shh, shh, shh. Good boy, Mick. Okay. That's it. Now just count backwards from three."

 

"No," whispered Mick.

 

"No?" Harvey was genuinely surprised. When Harvey had his victims tied up and they realized they couldn't get out of the situation, they usually just cooperated.

 

"Please. Don't do this. Just let me go. Please!"

 

Harvey sighed. "Fine." He smiled, and Mick could see the darkness in his eyes. "If you won't count, then I will."

 

Mick started crying and screaming.

 

"Shhhh," said Harvey. "Just close your eyes. Shhhh. It's just pain."

 

Mick squeezed his eyes shut.

 

"Good boy. 3...2...1."

 

There was a lot of screaming after that. Mick was crying and screaming and Harvey was soothing him. Harvey was only soothing Mick because he knew it made the situation scarier for him.

 

Several hours later, Harvey decided he'd had his fun with the kid, and it was time to kill him and go to bed. He reached back into his bag.

 

"Okay, Mick," he said. "You're going to die now."

 

Mick shook his head.

 

"Shhhhh," said Harvey. "Don't be scared. Just close your eyes, take a deep breath, and count backwards from 3. It'll be painful, but quick."

 

Mick already had his eyes closed, so he took a deep breath.

 

"Shhhhh. Relax. That's it. That's a good boy. This is going to hurt."

 

Mick counted backwards from 3.

 

¥¥¥

 

Nothing could have prepared Mick for what came next. The pain was excruciating. Mick screamed in agony as the spike was pressed into his head. Over his screaming, he could just hear Harvey chuckling to himself.

 

The pain only lasted 30 to 60 seconds, but it was the most terrifying 30 to 60 seconds of Mick's life.

 

And then, it was over. That was it. Mick was dead. Harvey tried the doorknob to the back room. It was unlocked. Harvey opened the door with ease and peeked inside. A bathroom. With a sink. Harvey turned on the water. Despite being deserted for such a long time, the place still had running water.

 

Harvey rinsed his tools. Then he put them back in the bag. Harvey walked over and picked up the candy bar and the old cash register. Then he put his bag over one shoulder and put everything in the backseat of his car.

 

Then he headed back inside. He had to do one more thing. He wrote a message on the wall in blood. "IT'S ALL ABOUT TIMING."

Harvey got in his car, drove home, and washed his hands. He opened the chocolate bar. It looked fine, so he ate it. He put the cash register in his bedroom on his dresser. Then he fell asleep paying bills.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, i know the abandoned building thing is a long standing villain tradition, as is the scaring, and the victims always ask the same questions, but i chose the soothing because nobody ever seems to do that, and it was a new thing that I thought of. Whether it becomes a tradition or not, I'll stick with it.**

 

**Harvey's just that kind of guy.**

 

**And yes, i spelled victim wrong, please don't get on my case about it.**

 

**So what do you guys think so far? I've been kinda tired lately, sorry about spelling, grammer, whatever. I hope you guys continue reading, I will put up a new chapter soon, and if you like this book, please don't hesitate to check out my others.**

 

**< 3 V (peace sign)**

 

**xoxoxoxo**

 

**NEU-sometime today**


	2. Chapter 2-The Aftermath

When Harvey woke up, it was past noon. He opened the window in his bedroom. From there, he could see the Hendersons'. Just as he'd thought, even hoped, there were a bunch of cop cars. Police and other people were gathered around the house. In the middle of it all were Mr. and Mrs. Henderson.

Harvey chuckled and congratulated himself. All his hard work had paid off.

"It's all about timing," he muttered to himself.

Then he went upstairs, changed, and walked over to the Hendersons'.

"Hey," he said to one of the cops. "What happened? What's going on?"

"Henderson kid's gone missing," the cop replied simply. Then he turned back to his work.

"Cooper!" cried a familiar voice. Frank was standing beside Harvey.

Harvey was only Harvey Wickston to his victems. To everybody else, he was Cooper Branson. Nobody met Harvey Wickston and lived. Everybody knew Cooper, though. It was a small town. Everybody knew everybody, and everybody knew Cooper Branson. Frank and Tom were Cooper's best friends. Cooper was only Harvey's cover. If you met Harvey Wickston, you died.

"Geez, Frank," said Harvey. "You don't have to deafen me."

"Sorry, Coop."

There was maybe two seconds of silence.

Then Frank said,"Coop, you hear about what happened here last night?"

"No. I have no idea what's going on."

"The Hendersons' kid went missing. Nobody knows where he went. Did you see or hear anything suspicious last night?"

"No, nothing. Wait. Mick Henderson?"

"That's him. What would anybody want with that kid, anyway? He never did anything to anybody. Although, I could maybe understand if somebody wanted to hold him for ransom. His parents are supposed to be rich."

"Frank, if the Hendersons were rich, they wouldn't be living in a place like this."

"Well, that's just the perfect cover, now, isn't it?"

"Can you explain to me what exactly happened?"

"Well, it was Mick's parents' anniversary, so they went away for a couple of nights to stay in a hotel. They left the kid to take care of himself. Right before they went to bed, they called him and he answered. Then, when they woke up the next morning, around 8:00, they called him again. He didn't answer, and his parents just assumed he hadn't woken up yet. After about half an hour, they called again. They started to get worried, because he's always up by 8:15. No exceptions. They hung up and tried again, and got a no service ring. They called the cops, then drove home really fast. They made it back in an hour, and found this. Lights off. Phones dead. Kid missing."

"I better go look around," said Harvey.

He walked all around the house full circle.

"It doesn't look like anyone broke into the house," he said.

"The kid didn't scream or cry, because somebody would've heard him."

"I know I would've."

"You know what this means? This town isn't safe for decent people like us anymore."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll be fine. This'll all blow over pretty soon."

"I don't think so. Hundreds of people are dying every year. And not of natural causes, either. It looks like they were tortured to death or something. This is really messed up. There's already been 20 deaths this month. I gotta get outta here."

"C'mon, Frank. Take a chill pill. They'll catch this guy."

But in his mind, he was thinking, No, they won't.

¥¥¥

It was almost 1:00. Harvey wondered if he should even bother opening up the convenience store. The store was just part of his cover, of course, but he liked it. He was an entrepreneur, and it was just a single store. It wasn't a chain. He decided to open the store. That way he could make some money, and maybe he'd hear some more gossip about Mick's disappearance.

He was right. About 20 minutes after he opened the store, two women came in. He couldn't really tell what they were talking about until they came up to the counter to pay.

"Good morning, ladies," he said.

"Well, good for some people. Not so good for others," said the woman on the right.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Harvey curiously. "Wait, you're not talking about what happened to Mick Henderson, are you?"

The woman nodded, but her friend said,"Why? What happened, Samantha?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard!" said Samantha. "Mick Henderson's gone missing! Didn't you see all the cop cars that were in front of his house?"

"Were there any clues to his disappearance?" asked the other woman.

"None that they found."

Then another girl stuck her head in the door, and said, "Ashley, Samantha, hurry up! We're gonna miss the movie."

"Okay, Melanie, we're coming!" called Ashley.

"Well, see you later," said Samantha.

Harvey read their mind signals as they walked out of the store.

All three of the girls were thinking that he looked familiar.

"No wonder," muttered Harvey to himself. He had been thinking the same thing. They were friends of Jenny Woods. It had been 4 years since he'd killed her, but he remembered it like it was yesterday. Watching her pointlessly trying to save her own life. Watching her cry. Hearing her scream. It had been fantastic. But that was a long time ago. He thought about Mick last night. Heard the screaming and the crying again. He smiled to himself as he replayed it in his head. He knew it was something he wouldn't forget with time. Harvey remembered everyone he killed.

In fact, he was so lost in his daydream that he didn't even hear the bell as his girlfriend entered the store.

"Hi," she said.

Harvey was startled out of his memories. He opened his eyes. Lauren was at the counter, her elbows propped up against it, her chin resting on her hands.

"Hi," he said, smiling at her.

She smiled back. "What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just something I did last night."

"And you had fun," guessed Lauren. "I saw you smiling."

"I had lots of fun."

"Did you hear what happened last night? With-"

"Mick Henderson. How could I not have? The whole town's been talking about it."

"I got asked about Mick about 10 different times just on my way here."

"I'm sure they'll find out who's doing this."

"Slow day?" Lauren changed the subject.

"It's Saturday. It's the middle of the day. More people will show up."

"Well, you look kind of bored for now. Do you wanna close up and come get some lunch with me?"

"Now?"

Lauren giggled.

"Sure. I got nothing better to do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, people, it's me!**

**So Frank and Tom are Harvey's "friends". Yes, they're not really his friends, but that all changes soon.**

**I also thought it would be kinda funny is Harvey's friends called him a decent person.**

**Hopefully you guys liked and will continue to read.**


	3. Chapter 3-The Date

They went to a Chinese food restaurant. They had been there a million times before, yet it never got old.

They ordered fried rice and wings and spareribs. Then they sat and talked.

"So, what do you think happened to Mick?" asked Lauren.

Harvey shrugged. "Dunno. Kidnapped. Ran away from home. Maybe even...dead."

"I'm scared, Cooper," said Lauren quietly.

Harvey didn't say anything, mostly because he didn't know what to say. How do you tell a girl that you get your kicks from killing people, and that you don't really love her, because you're just using her to cover up your terrible crimes?

Finally he said," Don't be. I'll protect you."

There. That sounded right. It sounded like something Cooper would say, instead of Harvey.

Like most things in Harvey's-well, Cooper's life-Lauren was a nice change from his evil villain persona, Harvey found.

"I dunno. Maybe I should just go."

"Well, not yet! We still have to eat."

"No, you misunderstood. Cooper, I'm not talking about leaving the restaurant. I'm talking about leaving Almonte."

"Leave town? Now?"

"As soon as possible. The sooner the better."

"Why?"

"Think about it."

There was a long minute of silence.

Then Lauren said," What if he comes after me? Cooper, what if I'm next? I'm scared, Cooper. I have to get out of town. I'm sorry."

Then Harvey tried to change the subject.

As if on cue, Last Christmas started playing.

"Would you care to dance?" asked Harvey.

"Okay," said Lauren.

Last Christmas was their song. It was the song that was playing the first time they'd ever kissed. They got up and danced together.

"I had a really nice time," said Lauren, as they were on their way home.

"But it's not done," said Harvey. "I was thinking you could come over and we could have a horror movie marathon."

It had been raining on and off all day, and now it was a full-fledged storm. Perfect horror movie weather.

That was one thing Harvey liked about Lauren. She was a horror movie fanatic.

"Yeah," said Lauren. "Sure, I'd like that."

They walked to Harvey's house together. They made popcorn and had chocolate. Harvey always had candy with horror movies. Harvey decided to start them off with his favorite horror movie, Hostel.

"Have you ever seen Hostel before?" he asked Lauren.

"No, never."

"Well, then, you're in for a real treat. Hostel is my favorite horror movie."

"If you like it, I'm willing to give it a shot."

"There is some gore, so if you're squeamish about that kind of thing, you should let me know now."

"Oh, no, that's okay. Gore doesn't really bother me."

"Okay, then."

They watched horror movies until 8:30 at night. The storm kept going, so they kept watching movies. They got through about four movies. Then Lauren decided it was time for her to go home. Harvey wanted her to stay a little longer, but he couldn't think of anything else for that night. Besides, they had a date tomorrow night.

After Lauren left, Harvey just sat and played Mario Kart. He had another kill to take care of tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Some of the music that i mention in this book was not made yet in 1994, which is the year it's supposed to be, but hey, it's a book. anything can happen.**

**Plus, Harvey has powers, so yeah. i dont know where i'm going with this.**

**Bear with me about bad spelling and grammer in these author's notes, i usually worry ,more about that in the actual book.**

**The next chapter gets kinda gory., so read with caution.**

**See yah!!!!**

**< 3**


	4. Chapter 4-Close Call

16 year old Claire Thompson lived in the heart of Ottawa with her parents. It was 11:00 on Saturday night, and her parents had gone out for dinner and a late movie, leaving Claire to take care of herself.

Claire was still up watching Hostel. It was a little gory, but she liked the plot.

Suddenly she heard a noise, so she paused the movie.

She listened, but she didn't hear anything, so she just sat and watched the movie again.

Then she heard another noise. She paused the movie again.

"Hello?" she called. "Is anyone there?"

"Oh, hey, there you are." The light came on.

Claire jumped at the voice, even though she recognized it.

"Jesus, Rick!" she cried, then lowered her voice. "What the hell!"

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." Rick had a huge grin on his face.

"How did you get in here, anyways?"

"The window." Rick pointed. "Don't worry. I locked it behind me."

"Well, next time, use the front door."

"It's so much more romantic if I come in through the window."

"Well, don't ever do it again."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Maybe the fact that you could get arrested for doing that."

"I'm not gonna get arrested. Besides, there comes a point in every boy's life when he decides it's time to climb in his girlfriend's window."

"That's not funny, Rick," said Claire, but she was smiling.

"I wasn't trying to be funny. I was trying to be romantic."

"I thought you were an intruder."

"Can't I climb in my girlfriend's window?"

Claire smiled.

"Maybe you've been watching too many scary movies," suggested Rick.

"You can never watch too many scary movies."

"Anything you say."

"Well, you may as well stay, now that you're here. Come on. You can finish watching Hostel with me."

"Too many scary movies," muttered Rick, as he joined his girlfriend on the couch.

They watched the movie together, Rick with one arm around Claire the whole time. Then they were bored.

Claire had to go the bathroom. When she was coming out, it was dark. She quietly called out Rick's name. Then Rick jumped out from behind the corner and said, "Boo!"

"Whoa!" cried Claire, then started laughing.

"Rick!" she laughed. "Don't do that!"

"Gotcha!" said Rick gleefully.

Then they went back over to the couch.

"You wanna watch Hostel again?" asked Claire.

"Yeah, sure. It was a great movie."

They popped the disc back in. They had watched it about halfway through when Rick said that he had to go to the bathroom. He went to the bathroom. Claire was still watching the movie when he snuck up on her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and said,"Hi."

Claire jumped two feet in the air.

"Oh, jeez, Rick!" she cried.

"I told you!" insisted Rick. "Too many scary movies."

"That wasn't funny, Rick. You scared the hell out of me!"

"Why? Are you afraid somebody's gonna sneak into the house and...chop your head off!"

As Rick said that, he grabbed the remote and put it against Claire's neck. He did it gently of course, and playfully, but it still made Claire jump.

"Cut it out, Rick," insisted Claire. She threw a pillow at him. "Come on, that's not funny."

"Hey," said Rick. "Sorry. Look, I'm sorry, okay?"

"Okay. It's just, there's a killer on the loose in Almonte, and I'm a little on edge."

"I heard about that. Hey, Claire. I love you, okay? And I don't ever wanna lose you."

"Well, then, I guess you'd better come with me."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I have to call my parents and let them know I'm doing okay."

Rick followed her to the phone.

It rang three times, then her mother picked up.

"Hi, Mom," said Claire. "Yes, I'm fine. Rick came in through the window. Apparently it was unlocked. Just watching movies. Okay. Okay. One second. Hey, Rick, my mom wants to talk to you! Hang on. He's hiding from me again. Okay. Well, I'm gonna go find Rick. I'll call you back before I go to bed. I love you, too. Okay, bye."

She hung up and started looking for Rick.

"Rick!" she called. "Rick!"

Then there was a flash of lightning, and Claire thought she saw a man standing by the window. Another flash of lightning, and he was gone. Claire raced down the hall, yelling her boyfriend's name.

Rick came around the corner. "What?" he asked. "Claire, what's wrong?"

"There's somebody in the house!" said Claire through her tears.

She went with Rick as he took a look around. He turned on all the lights, and there was nobody there.

"It's okay, Claire. There's nobody here. It was probably just your imagination."

"Maybe I have been watching too many scary movies."

"Don't worry. You're safe with me."

Rick turned on Addicted by Simple Plan.

He started singing along to it.

"Come on, Claire!" he insisted.

Claire giggled. They sang and danced a little bit. Then the phone rang.

Rick turned the music down.

"Hello?" said Claire.

"Hello, Claire," said the man on the other end.

"Who is this?"

"Listen carefully, Claire. You're going to die tonight. Don't try and fight it. You'll only make things worse for yourself."

Then there was a beep. Claire had been disconnected.

She ran to her boyfriend.

"Hey, Claire!" said Rick, but she ran right into his arms. "What's wrong, baby? Who was that on the phone?"

"He said I'm going to die tonight!" sobbed Claire. "I'm scared, Rick! I don't wanna die!"

"Don't worry. You're not going to. It's okay. Claire, look at me. It's okay. You're safe with me. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you."

Claire nodded.

Suddenly, from down the hall, they heard "Get Ready To Die" playing.

"Hey, Andrew W.K.! Awesome!" said Rick. Then his expression changed. "Wait a minute," he said. "This isn't the music I put on."

"We should get out of the house," said Claire. She took Rick's hand, and they made a dash for the door.

But there was someone there.

Harvey grabbed at them, but they spun around just in time and ran the other way.

Claire hurried to the phone and tried to call her parents. Unfortunately for her, the phonelines were down, and it wasn't because of the storm.

Then she looked back, and Rick was gone.

She started looking for him, and ended up running into Harvey.

He grabbed her, but Rick snuck up on him, and was about to hit him over the head with a baseball bat when he turned around and jumped on Rick.

"Go!" yelled Rick.

Harvey grabbed for her, but he was too late. Claire seized the oppurtunity to make a run for it. She hurried into her bedroom, slammed the door shut, and locked it.

Harvey used his powers, and the door swung open with a bang. Harvey jumped on Claire and pinned her down. Then he tied the two of them up back to back. Claire was crying, and Rick was breathing hard and trying to keep calm.

Someone from next door yelled,"Keep it down, Thompson, or I'm gonna call the cops!"

Harvey froze. He waited at least ten minutes, until he was sure the guy had gone back to sleep. Claire tried to yell for help several times, but nothing came out.

Harvey took them to the car and put them in the backseat. He stopped at the gas station to get himself a little snack.

"I'm scared, Rick," said Claire. "I don't wanna die!"

"Shh, don't worry. Everything's gonna be okay. We'll get through this. Don't be scared. I'm right here, okay? Listen, Claire, this guy's a madman, so whatever happens, no matter how much it hurts, you have to try not to scream, okay?" They were holding hands, and Claire squeezed Rick's hand, but she nodded and whispered, "Okay."

"He gets his pleasure from stuff like this," Rick continued. "Don't worry. I'm right here. We'll get through this together."

Then Harvey came back to the car. He got in and turned on the radio. Last Christmas started playing.

"Ooh, me and Lauren's song," he said. "That's funny."

He sang along to the song as he drove along. Then "You Belong With Me" started playing.

Soon they came to an abandoned bowling alley. Harvey got Claire and Rick out of the car and took them inside.

He tied them to two seperate chairs and put them a few feet away from each other.

Then he chuckled darkly and said,"Okay, so here's what's gonna happen. First you're gonna watch your girlfriend die. Then you're gonna die."

Then Harvey thought he heard somebody say,"Kill the boy first."

He looked behind him, but there was nobody there. He turned back to his victems.

"Okay, change of plans. The boy dies first."

Claire started crying. "Kill me first," she said through her tears.

"Claire," said Rick. "It's okay."

"No. Please. I can't watch him die."

"Which is why I chose him," said Harvey simply.

"Rick, you don't have to be a hero," Claire whispered.

"Yes, I do," replied Rick, in a firm tone. He took a deep breath. "Go ahead. Do your worst."

"By the way," said Harvey, as he unpacked his bag. "I heard you two talking in the car. Or rather, read your minds. I will make you scream. Both of you. I know how. I have my ways. Okay, kid, here's the deal. You can say one last thing to your girlfriend over there before you die screaming."

"I love you, Claire. Not even death can tear us apart. And remember, don't scream, no matter what happens."

Claire nodded.

Harvey muttered something to himself. Then he sighed happily.

"Now the fun can begin," he said darkly, and moved in for the kill.

"Close your eyes," he told Rick.

Rick was still trying to get control of himself, but he swallowed and closed his eyes. Harvey was sure he saw a tear roll down the kid's cheek. He smiled. Perfect. Rick was scared.

"Now count backwards from three," Harvey told Rick.

Rick was practically hyperventilating by this point, but he took a deep breath and counted.

"3...2...1."

Then Harvey started torturing the kid. Both Rick and Claire were crying a lot, but Harvey wasn't having as much fun as he had with Mick, because Rick was refusing to scream. This kid was tough, and Harvey had to at least give him that. But he would make Rick scream. He would find a way. Harvey also realized he hadn't figured out beforehand how he wanted to kill this kid. Then he saw a rat scampering across the floor, and was hit with a sudden brainstorm. He suddenly thought of a way he could kill the kid AND make him scream at the same time. He liked the idea. It was different, and it would be the first time he'd done anything like it. In a nutshell, it was perfect.

He put a can over the rat and scooped it up. Then he took out his lighter and began to heat the can.

Then he put the can up against Rick's stomach as he continued to heat it up.

Rick started crying and hyperventilating again. Claire was just crying and shaking her head.

Harvey made a point of pretending to check his watch, even though he wasn't wearing one.

As the can was heated, the rat started looking for a way to escape, but the only escape he had was through Rick's stomach. Rick started screaming as the rat began to dig a tunnel into his stomach. Harvey took a deep breath. He was savouring every minute of it. He'd finally gotten the kid screaming.

Music to my ears, he thought, as he chuckled to himself.

He tossed the can against the opposite wall. Then he turned to Claire.

"Okay, your turn," he said.

"You're fucking insane!" cried Claire through her tears.

"Oh, you shouldn't have said that," said Harvey darkly.

Claire didn't care. She wanted Harvey to know what she thought of him before he killed her.

But she would care, Harvey promised himself. He would personally see to it that she learned to respect her elders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: so, a few things. First of all, if you haven't heard "Get Ready To die" by Andrew W.K., then you can find it on youtube. You should definately look it up. once you hear the song, you'll understand why i used it for this chapter.**

**Also, i thought it would be romantic if Rick and claire died together, like Romeo and Juliet.**

**i thought the chase was pretty cool in this chapter. i really enjoyed writing it.**

**Also, that rat and can thing is actually something i pulled offline. it was a torture technique they used in the middle ages, so i was like "Why not?"**

**< 3**

**A/N: Yes, I adore Rick and Morty. Yes, I have a Rick and Morty fanfiction coming out. But I just want to make it clear, that this chapter was written long before I actually discovered Rick and Morty. I think at the time I put out the first draft of this chapter it wasn't even on Tv yet.**   
  
**However, upon reading this chapter again, I can only think of Morty's crazy grandpa! Lol!**


	5. Chapter 5-Devil In Disguise

Harvey couldn't be sure he heard the voice at first. It sounded so faint and faraway that he thought it might be just be his imagination.

Then the voice came again. "Cooper!"

Harvey was sure he heard it this time.

"Tom?" He turned, and sure enough, his friend was running toward him.

Harvey had just stepped out of the house, and had been about to go open his store.

"Cooper."

"Hey, Tom. What's up?"

"I don't know. Something's up with Lauren."

"What happened to Lauren?"

"She was knocking on my door about an hour ago. She was just crying and saying something about the old bowling alley. Then she told me to come get you while she stayed with Frank."

Frank and Tom were twins, so they lived together.

"What happened to the bowling alley? It blow up or something?" asked Harvey.

"I don't know. She says she wants to talk to you."

Harvey just sighed.

"Alright. I'm gonna go see what's going on."

Tom followed Harvey to his house.

The first thing Harvey noticed were the police cars. He started to panic. Had something terrible happened to Lauren?

He pushed through the crowd, and found Lauren standing with Frank. She was unharmed, but crying. As soon as she saw her boyfriend, she flew into his arms. She said something about the bowling alley, but she was crying too hard for Harvey to hear much else.

Even though Harvey was pretty sure he already knew what was going on, he told her to calm down and tell him what happened. She calmed down a little bit and told him about how she was walking when she noticed the bowling alley. She wiped the dust off one of the windows to look inside, and what she saw there made her scream.

"Oh, no," muttered Harvey.

"I'm scared, Cooper," whispered Lauren.

"Don't be. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

But Lauren had already made her decision. She told Harvey she was leaving in a few days, right after his party. Harvey tried to persuade her not to, but it was too late.

Harvey opened the store, and let his girlfriend come with him and help him out.

Lauren helped him restock the shelves and serve the customers. It wasn't much, but she only came with him because she needed to try to take her mind off what she had seen in the bowling alley. Lauren also tried to ignore the morning paper, since it was sporting the front cover. MANIAC ON THE LOOSE! the headlines proclaimed. The three dead bodies had been found: Mick Henderson, Claire Thompson, and Rick Keller. Harvey, however, wanted to relive his work, so he read the article when Lauren wasn't looking.

They went to East Side Mario's for lunch, since they both wanted Italian food. They talked a bit.

"Are you thinking about expanding?" asked Lauren.

"Expanding the store?" asked Harvey. "Not really. Why? Do you think I should?"

"Maybe. I don't know. Guess it doesn't much matter now, since I'm not going to be here anyways."

"Where will you go?"

"My aunt lives in Florida. I thought maybe I could go live with her. Or at least near her."

"Florida's a really long way away."

Lauren nodded. "I figure, the farther away from here I am, the better."

Harvey nodded, mostly because he knew exactly what to say. The only problem was, he was afraid it would sound too much like Harvey and not enough like Cooper.

He was right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: The reason Harvey says "Oh, no" in this chapter is because he thinks Lauren is going to find out it's him, not because he's afraid for her. Harvey's just using her.**

**Hopefully she will figure out his terrible secret before he kills her. Guess we'll wait and see...**

**< 3**


	6. Chapter 6-The Wrong Thing To Say

The next day, Harvey and Frank were taking a walk together.

"So, you and Lauren, huh?" said Frank. "How do you feel?"

"About me and Lauren? Pretty good, I guess."

The truth was, Harvey didn't know how he felt about him and Lauren.

"So, you think you're gonna ask her to marry you anytime soon?"

"I don't know. Probably not."

"Really? Why not?" Frank sounded more shocked than interested.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just not ready to settle down yet. Not just with Lauren, but with anybody."

"Why not with Lauren? She's wonderful. She's funny, smart, sensitive, and beautiful. I know if I was going out with her, I would've asked her by now."

"I don't know. I just feel weird about it."

"You're so weird, Cooper! Sometimes I feel like I have no idea who you are."

"Sometimes I get that feeling, too."

"You wanna play some Mario Kart now?"

"Yeah! Whenever you're ready."

"Whose house are we going to?"

"Mine. You okay with that?"

"Yeah, yeah! It's cool."

¥¥¥

They were playing Mario Kart at Harvey's house soon. Harvey was in first and Frank was in second. Then Frank got a bomb, and Harvey got a good idea.

"Frank!" he said. "Hold onto that bomb!"

"Why?" wondered Frank.

"Just do it. I have an idea."

"Okay." Frank was very confused.

"Don't throw it until I tell you to."

Harvey went through the cave.

"Here. Follow me through the shortcut. Through here. Get right up alongside me. Hang in there. Now, when I say go, throw it backwards. Okay...go!"

The bomb went backwards.

"Stop!" said Harvey, and as Frank was about to protest, he said,"Trust me."

Their bumpers were hit with the explosion, propelling them halfway across the track.

"Whoa!" cried Frank.

"See, I told you. You worry too much," Harvey teased his friend.

"How did you do that?" asked Frank.

"Timing, Frank. It's all about timing."

"What?"

Harvey realized too late what he'd done.

"Haven't I heard that somewhere before?" pressed Frank.

"Maybe from Tom."

"No, Tom never says that."

"You're remembering last week."

"I doubt it."

"I said it last week. Remember?"

"The only thing I remember that happened last week is that Mick Henderson disappeared."

"Died, Frank."

"Yeah, well, nobody knew that at the time."

"Forget about it. It's yesterday's news. Besides, it's too late. Nobody can save him now."

"You are so strange," said Frank after a long moment. Then he put down the remote. "I gotta go. I have a job interview in an hour."

"Again? What'd you do this time?"

"I didn't do anything. My boss is the problem."

"Let me guess."

"He's a complete jerk."

Harvey chuckled to himself. His friend had had a lot of jobs in his life. Usually he worked at a job for a few weeks, but they always found a reason to fire him. Frank always complained afterwards that his boss was a jerk. Then he'd say that he was planning to quit anyways.

"It doesn't matter," said Frank. "I was going to quit anyways."

"And you should," said Harvey. "That was a terrible job."

"It was a terrible job. But this time I've got a great job. This one's practically in the bag. All I gotta do is ace this interview."

Frank always tried hard at all of his jobs, but he always made some big mistake that got him fired. Harvey would always go along with it and tell Frank he had a crappy job anyways.

"I should open the store anyways," said Harvey.

"All right. I'll call you later to let you know how it went."

"Go get em, Frank!" called Harvey, as he heard the door slam.

Then he breathed a sigh of relief.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Looks like Frank might just be carrying a little flame for Lauren. But what's more important is how Harvey is going to be caught if he isn't more careful.**

**Let's better hope he learns how to keep his mouth shut...**

**Love and peace as always!**


	7. Chapter 7-Bloody Mary

The night before his birthday, around midnight, Harvey drove down to Ottawa. He had another kill to make.

This one, he'd been working on for just over three months. Usually, Harvey would work on more than one victem at once, and once he was done with a kill, he would start on a new victem almost right away.

Tonight, Harvey was driving into downtown Ottawa to enjoy a McDonald's cheeseburger and an early morning kill.

¥¥¥

Lizzie Lindon was ten years old. Her friends all were interested in urban legends, including Bloody Mary. Once, when Lizzie and a small group of her friends were at Stacy's house, Stacy dared Lizzie to do Bloody Mary, but she'd chickened out.

None of the girls had ever brought it up again, but lately, Lizzie had been having nightmares that Bloody Mary came out of the mirror and killed her.

Her mother was out of the house, at some big party or something, and would not be back until around four in the morning.

He knew that Lizzie thought that if she stood in front of the mirror and tested the Bloody Mary legend for herself, nothing would happen and the nightmares would end. She just had to prove to herself that the legend wasn't true.

And how did she know? Harvey had told her, of course. He'd come to her in a dream, told her that he came with a message for her and that she should listen carefully and do exactly what he said. He told her if she stood in front of the mirror at exactly 1:30 in the morning on June 9th and did Bloody Mary in front of her bathroom mirror, the nightmares would end. He said the legend was not true. And it probably wasn't, but it would be true for Lizzie. Her house was about 45 minutes away, but Harvey left early so he had time to pick up a Big Mac. He blasted the radio until he got to Mcdonald's.

He was in line at the drive-thru when he heard someone honking their horn behind him. He leaned out the window.

"Hey, Cooper," called Tom, waving.

"Shoot," muttered Harvey. "Hey, Tom!" he said back. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I know. But I really needed a Big Mac."

"Yeah, me, too."

"So where are you off to?"

"An appointment."

"Really? This late at night?"

"It's not an appointment, exactly. Just something I have to do."

"Oh. Well, have fun."

"I will. Thanks."

Harvey picked up his burger.

"Hey, Tom!" he called. "You know what time to come over tomorrow, right?"

Tom laughed. "Don't worry, Coop! We won't bug you any earlier than 10:30."

"Good."

He drove off to the house, not stopping even for gas. Less than an hour to go.

Harvey stopped on top of a hill. If he looked down, he could see Lizzie's house. It was the one he was closest to, almost ninety yards from the rest of the houses in the little clearing.

He glanced at his watch. He had exactly two minutes to get down to her house. He could make it.

He left the car on top of the hill. He ran to the house. When he was at the house, he got up against the wall, right outside the open bathroom window.

Then he looked at his watch again. This kill would be quite unorthodox for him. Then again, sometimes a change is good, he thought to himself.

She would be coming down any second.

Harvey waited silently. Patience was one of his strong suits.

Then he saw the beam of a flashlight.

Perfect, he thought. He smiled to himself.

The beam stopped. Harvey peeked inside. She was in the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror, just like he'd told her. He stifled a snicker.

He listened as she closed the door and turned off her flashlight. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

Harvey zeroed in on her mind signal.

Okay, I hope I'm doing this right, Lizzie thought. All right. I only have to do this once, and the nightmares will be over. Well, here goes.

"Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary."

She hesitated.

Harvey adjusted his hat.

"Bloody Mary."

WHAM!

It was too easy. She didn't even have time to scream. Harvey hopped in the bathroom window. Good job, he thought.

He wrote a message on the wall in blood. BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Late night appointment? Yeah, right!**

**Ten year olds however will believe anything you tell them. i had to do bloody mary, it was just too awesome!**

**< 3**


	8. Chapter 8-Happy Birthday, Harvey!

It was quarter past eleven when Frank and Tom showed up.

"Hey, Cooper! Happy birthday!" the boys cried.

Tom was carrying a small stack of boxes. Harvey narrowed his eyes and groaned when he saw the pile.

"I thought I told you guys not to get me anything!" he said.

"Aw, don't sulk, Cooper!" insisted Tom.

"Besides, Lauren helped."

"Okay, I won't complain." He put his hands up. "Promise."

"Here. This is the cake." Tom held out a white box to Harvey.

"Lauren ordered it last week," added Frank.

Harvey sighed, then smiled. "Okay. Let's see what she thinks."

He opened the box. The cake said, "Happy birthday, Cooper" in red icing.

Harvey chuckled. "Look at that! She even got the colors right. I'm impressed."

"We thought you might be," Tom laughed.

"Okay, this one's mine," said Frank.

Harvey opened the first box, the smaller one. Inside was a shiny new Glock .24.

"You got me a gun?" asked Harvey, faking a tone of disbelief.

"We, uh, thought it might be a good idea," said Tom.

"With that killer on the loose and all," added Frank.

"Oh! You're right; it might be a good idea. Not that I really feel comfortable shooting people, but better him than me."

"Him?" demanded Frank. "How do you know it's a him?"

Oops. "I don't." Harvey shrugged. "But there aren't that many killers who are girls."

"That's a little sexist," laughed Tom. "But true."

Phew, thought Harvey. Dodged a bullet.

"Okay, next." Frank held out the box. "This one's from both of us."

Harvey opened the box and pulled out a black trenchcoat.

"Wow, stylish! This is great, guys! I'm really impressed. Thanks."

"Well, put it on!" Tom cried excitedly.

Harvey slipped it on.

"Wow!" said Frank in an impressed tone.

"You look great!" exclaimed Tom.

"We thought it might go with your fedora and stuff," Tom explained.

"It's perfect!" said Harvey. "I'll wear it all the time. Now, who wants cake?"

"Alright, cake!" exclaimed Tom.

"Yes, please!" cried Frank.

"Alright, I'll do the honors," said Harvey. "Make yourselves comfortable. I'll be right back."

Harvey went into the kitchen and grabbed a large knife. It gave him an idea. The idea made him chuckle darkly. But he decided against it. He still had the night with Lauren, and the dead bodies of his two best friends would be VERY conspicuous. He would just try to enjoy his birthday.

He brought the knife back out to cut the cake.

"Geez, Cooper!" exclaimed Tom when he saw the knife. That knife is huge! What are you planning to do, kill somebody with it?" Tom started laughing at his own joke.

"Tom!" Harvey froze over the cake, glaring at his friend, pretending to be angry.

"That was not funny!" cried Frank. "There's a crazy man on the loose!"

"Oh," said Tom quietly. "I'm sorry, guys. I should've been more sensitive than that."

Harvey laughed. "Hey, it's okay! No worries, heh?"

He playfully punched Tom's shoulder.

They all ate a piece of cake, then Harvey put the rest of it in the fridge.

"So, what now?"

"We're going to Lauren's house," said Frank.

"Why?"

"You'll see." Tom grinned wryly.

"Trust us," chuckled Frank. "You'll like it."

Harvey sighed. "Alright," he groaned.

"Great!" Frank patted his shoulder.

¥¥¥

"Okay," said Lauren into the phone. Lauren was sitting on the porch, talking to her mom on the phone. "Oh, that's great! When? That's great, Mom! I know, Dad loves you a lot, even if he doesn't always say it. Alright, tell Brandon and Dad to have fun!"

Brandon was Lauren's older brother. Suddenly, the honk of a car horn caught her attention.

"Oh, perfect, the boys are here! Love you, Mom! Talk to you later!"

She stuffed her cell phone in her pocket, then hurried down the porch steps.

"Hey, Lauren!" said Harvey. "I love you."

They kissed each other. Tom snickered, just like he did anytime Harvey and Lauren kissed.

"Happy birthday, Coop!" squealed Lauren.

"Thanks," said Harvey. "And thanks for the cake. It was delicious. You even got the colours right!"

Lauren giggled. "It was nothing. Hey, wait'll you see what we got for you!"

"Not you too! I thought I said NO PRESENTS."

"Aw, come on, Coop. It's from all three of us. And I think you'll really like it."

"Last one, right?"

"It's the last one, I promise!" Lauren laughed lightheartedly.

"Come on. This way; it's in the garage. It's something you've always wanted."

"Something I've always wanted?" Harvey was stumped.

Lauren opened the garage door. A black, gleaming motorcycle was sitting in the garage.

"Nice motorcycle," said Harvey.

"Glad you like it," said Lauren. "Happy birthday."

"I don't see the present," muttered Harvey.

"Look again," prodded Lauren.

"You got me a Harley?"

"Yep. Here." Lauren tossed him a helmet, and held onto the other one.

"Wanna take it out for a spin?"

"Let's go!" whooped Harvey excitedly.

They drove all the way along the highway and back around to Lauren's house.

"By the way," said Frank. "Did you guys see the paper yet this morning?"

"Not yet," said Lauren.

"Me neither," said Harvey.

"I think we've all been pretty busy with Cooper's birthday."

"Look," gasped Frank, showing them the front page.

"Serial killer on the loose?" read Harvey. "Aw, nuts, not again!"

"Will they ever catch this guy?" asked Lauren.

"Don't worry, it can't be much longer," encouraged Tom. "They'll probably catch him soon."

"Better luck next time?" read Lauren. "He's mocking us!"

"What if one of us is next?" asked Frank.

"He wouldn't get to any of us," insisted Harvey. "I wouldn't let him!"

"Are you guys going home now?" asked Lauren.

"We don't have to," said Harvey.

"Guys," said Frank. "I'm getting kind of scared."

"Me, too," said Lauren.

"I'm also a bit scared," admitted Tom.

"I think we should stay together as much as possible from now on," proclaimed Frank.

"I second that motion," said Lauren.

"What do you think, Cooper?" asked Tom.

"Yeah," said Frank. "Ya know, you've been pretty quiet. Aren't you even the least bit scared?"

"Hell, no!" cried Harvey, as if it were obvious. "I've got a gun. Besides, even if I didn't have the gun, I still wouldn't let him get to any of us! I'm not scared, and you guys shouldn't be either!"

"A gun?" asked Lauren. "Cooper, where'd you get a gun?"

"Birthday present." Harvey shrugged. "The boys got it for me for protection, and I'll use it to protect all four of us if necessary. Just one bullet, that's all I'll need. Hit the bas1ard right between the eyes." He turned his fingers into a pretend gun.

"Ready...aim...BLAM!" Lauren jumped.

Harvey had had his arm around Lauren during the entire conversation, and she pushed him off.

"Ew, that's gross! What is wrong with you?"

"If he even steps foot in any of our houses, I'll make a bloody mess outta the bastard!" Harvey roared with laughter. He was getting so excited by the prospect of killing somebody that he forgot that he WAS the killer, and was supposed to be trying to cover up that fact.

"Cooper!" exclaimed Lauren. "Cut that out! You're scaring us!"

Harvey stopped laughing. "Sorry," he faked an apology. "I was just trying to prove a point."

"Yeah, well, point proven."

"So, who were you talking to when we showed up?" asked Tom, trying to change the subject.

"My dad and brother," replied Lauren. "They're going on another camping trip in Colorado this weekend."

"How are they?"

"They're good. In fact, they're all great! My dad, my mom, and my brother are all taking an RV trip this summer."

"You're not going?" asked Harvey.

"Hey, that's a good idea!" said Lauren. "I can go live with my dad instead of to Florida!"

"Wait, you're leaving?" asked Tom.

"Sorry, you guys," said Lauren. "I really don't like doing this, but whoever this killer is, they're nuts."

"I don't think he'd hurt YOU," said Harvey. "You can't hit a woman."

"What about Claire?"

"Oh, uh...I guess I didn't think about that."

"But Cooper has a gun now," said Tom. "He'll protect us."

Harvey nodded. "Yeah, you can stay. It's plenty safe. He probably won't come after any of US anyway."

"Oh, yeah?" demanded Lauren. "How do YOU know? Look, I'm sorry. I know you're saying you can keep us safe, but I'd rather not wait until the killer is standing at the foot of my bed to find out."

"But he won't be standing at the foot of your bed!" said Tom.

"Living room, kitchen, whatever," muttered Lauren.

"Does it really matter where the killer is standing?" asked Frank.

"I am not going to argue with you about placement!" yelled Tom.

"Look, it doesn't really matter, because he's not going to BE in Lauren's house," added Tom, rolling his eyes.

"Exactly," said Frank. "The killer wouldn't come after her."

"How do you know?" cried Lauren, exasperated. She glared at the boys.

"Is there something you need to tell me?"

Everyone was quiet for a minute, and Harvey tried to read his friends minds. Just then they heard the roar of an engine.

"Oh, no," moaned Lauren. "Not Demitri. Not now."

Demitri was forever trying to win Lauren over with what he thought were powers of irresistability, but was actually complete and total stupidity.

Demitri hopped out of his car. "Hey, babe," he said to Lauren.

"Demitri, go home," said Lauren sternly.

"Hey, Demitri," said Harvey. "It's my birthday today. Guess what I got? A gun to protect me and my friends."

"Cooper, don't make threats."

"You wouldn't kill me," said Demitri.

"Wanna find out?" asked Harvey. "We can go right now."

"Cooper, please stop," whispered Lauren. "Just back down a bit, okay?"

"Alright," said Harvey, then muttered, "I can't wait until you find another girl to take your mind off Lauren."

"What was that, Cooper?" asked Lauren.

"I said,'Maybe we should all go inside your house now, Lauren.'"

"Okay," said Lauren. "Demitri, go home."

"Why?"

"If you don't get off my property right now, I'll tell Cooper to get his gun."

"I'll be back, babe."

"I'll be counting down the seconds," muttered Lauren sarcastically.

Demitri got in his car and drove off.

They all went inside.

"So, what now?" asked Frank.

"It's your birthday, Cooper," said Lauren.

"Let's all play darts."

They all played darts, then took a break for lunch.

They had a picnic in the park.

"So, what did you guys pack?" asked Cooper. "Sandwiches?"

"Not really." Lauren giggled. "Chocolate. Cupcakes, candy, ice cream sandwiches."

Harvey laughed. "That's my girl!"

Lauren smiled. Then she leaned in and kissed her boyfriend. Tom stifled a snicker.

Just then, the cops showed up.

"Good day, Cooper," the cop said. "Lauren. Boys."

"Good afternoon, Graham," said Lauren.

They all said hello to each other. There were two policemen, Graham and Patrick.

"What are you guys up to right now?" asked Lauren.

"We're trying to solve these murders," said Graham.

"Oh," said Lauren.

"We heard you were getting out of town," added Patrick.

"How-?"

"News travels fast. Cooper told us."

"I can't stay here. Not with this murderer on the loose."

Graham smiled. "Good call. See you around, guys."

"You, too."

"Oh, and happy birthday, Cooper."

"Thanks."

After lunch, they all played Mario Kart.

¥¥¥

At around 5:30, Cooper and Lauren went out to the Chinese food restaurant. It was just him and Lauren. His friends understood. In fact, they thought it was nice that "Cooper" and Lauren were getting some alone time.

They headed out to the restaurant. It was only two blocks from Lauren's house.

When they were walking, Harvey was looking at Lauren.

Lauren looked back at him. "What?" she asked quietly, smiling.

"You look amazing," said Harvey.

Lauren was wearing a blue dress and white dress shoes. Harvey was wearing his new trenchcoat.

Lauren giggled. "You know, we could've taken your motorcycle."

"It's not that far. Besides, if we were on my motorcycle, then I couldn't do this."

Harvey weaved his fingers through Lauren's, then leaned in and kissed her. Lauren put her free hand around Harvey's neck. When they parted, she giggled again.

"No," she said softly. "Don't stop."

"We'll get a hotel room later," Harvey said, gazing into her eyes.

They got a bunch of different kinds of rice, spareribs, and chicken wings. They talked and laughed for over three hours. Finally they got the cheque. Harvey reached into his wallet to pay, and Lauren noticed the picture in the front pocket.

"Hey, nice picture," she commented. "You're the one on the left up in front, right?"

"Yeah, that's me." Harvey chuckled.

"That's your dad, right? In the back?"

"Yeah."

"How come I've never seen this picture before?"

"I thought I showed it to you before. A long time ago."

"Maybe you did and I just don't remember."

"I was in the first grade when this picture was taken. My dad wanted to do homemade Christmas cards. This is the picture we used."

"Who's that kid beside you? He's got his arm around you, almost like...he's your..."

"He's my brother," finished Harvey in a disconnected tone. "Trey."

"I never heard you mention a brother before."

"Well, I gotta hit the john."

"Seeing as how it's your birthday and all, I'll pick up the cheque."

"Thanks, hun."

Harvey disappeared.

A few seconds after Harvey was gone, Lauren's cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Lauren, it's Tom."

"I actually wanted to talk to you. Have you ever heard Cooper mention a brother?"

"Cooper's got a brother?"

"In the picture in the front of his wallet. I just noticed it now. But here's the weird thing. When I started talking about Trey-"

"Trey?"

"His brother. His face and his voice changed, and he said he had to use the bathroom. It's almost as if he doesn't like talking about his brother."

"Really? That's weird. Wait. This isn't about Trey. This is about Cooper. There's something you should know about him."

"Which is?"

"Lauren, he's the killer."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Lauren." Tom sounded close to tears. "I really am. I know how hard this must be on you."

"That's not true, Tom."

"Remember Mick Henderson?"

"So what?"

"They found his body in that old convenience store. There was an old cash register in there. It was missing when the body was found. I saw it in Cooper's house this morning, by the front door. It looked exactly the same, dust and all."

"Are you kidding?"

"And he makes references to the deaths. Have you noticed the way he's been acting lately?"

"It makes sense, I just...it's hard for me to swallow."

"I know, I know. I really am sorry. But I need you to do something for me. Just stay with him for a little while longer. Pretend that everything's normal, that everything's ok. Can you do that?"

"I think so."

"Good. We need a bit more evidence, but we'll be there soon."

"Okay."

"See ya later. Bye."

Then there was a dialtone. Lauren put her phone away and payed the bill. Just then, Harvey came back from the bathroom. The waiter came by and gave them their change and reciept, and two fortune cookies.

Harvey cracked his open. "You will find your true love in an unexpected place."

"Someone you love has a deep, dark secret," read Lauren. Creepy, she thought.

Harvey smiled. "I wonder who that could be."

Lauren couldn't help but smile. "I wonder."

"Wanna split? There's a skating rink about 15 minutes away from here."

"The skating rink is closed."

"We can still go."

So they went. The zambini was already out, smoothing the ice. Harvey put Lauren on the bench.

"Stay here."

He went up to the guy that was driving the zambini.

"Hey, Cooper."

"Hey, Bob."

"Happy birthday. You want some time?"

"Please."

He'd done this before, tons of times, not just with Lauren, but with other girls, too. They started skating around in circles. Lauren would have to talk to keep him busy. She searched for something to say. Luckily, she didn't have to start. Harvey spoke first. They were halfway around the rink.

"So, someone you love has a deep, dark secret," he said. "Don't you want to know who that is?"

"My dad."

"Hmm...interesting imagination you have."

"My brother?"

"Try again."

"You know those fortunes are complete bullshit, right?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe you know or maybe the fortune is bullshit?"

"Either one. Or maybe both. I don't know."

"It's you, isn't it?"

"Yes, no, maybe so, could be, I don't know."

"Funny." Lauren shoved him, grinning.

"You're pretty strong. I almost fell over."

"Yeah, well, you're the one with the gun." Lauren started laughing.

Then she slipped and fell on her butt.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Better luck next time."

He is the killer, thought Lauren. Her heart sped up. Oh, shi1, he's gonna kill me.

"Come on." Harvey held out his hand. "One more lap."

Lauren didn't know what to do.

"Freeze!" yelled Tom.

Harvey looked toward the doors. Frank, Tom, and three policemen were coming. Harvey threw his hands up.

"Cooper Branson!" yelled one of the cops. "Step away from the girl!

You are under arrest!"

The cops put Harvey in handcuffs. Tom went up to Lauren.

"Are you okay?" asked Tom.

"Not really. My boyfriend's a killer!"

"It's okay. He's going away, Lauren. For a long time."

They hugged each other. Suddenly Lauren burst into tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: First of all, it's too bad Tom told Lauren. harvey might have to kill him now.**

**Well, this is an interesting chapter, parties, presents, cake, truths, lies, and maybe death for dessert.**

**Anyways, if you think this party was hectic, it's nothing compared to the party chapter later on... that's all i'm gonna asay, hint, hint,**

**Sos, in this chap, Trey was mentioned, he becomes kinda important later on, i havent yet decided whether you guys are gonna get to meet him, but i hoping i could you guys opinions on that...**

**also, you met Demitri, he's gonna be a consistent character through out the book, you're gonna be seeing more of him, so anyway...**

**Anyway, so i hope you guys enjoyed, and read and comment and all that stuff!**

**Peace!**


	9. Chapter 9-Jack

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" asked Tom.

"Can't sleep," said Lauren.

"That's cuz you drank six root beers."

Tom laughed. Lauren smiled.

"Did you have nightmares?"

"Sort of."

"I'm sorry."

"Do you know anyone else who has a boyfriend that's a killer?"

"I know, this is a lot to take in. Would you like another root beer?"

"Yes, please. Make that 7." Lauren popped it open. "I just don't know what to do. I mean, he may be a killer, but he's still my boyfriend."

"But you didn't know he was a killer when you fell in love with him."

"But I know now." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "And I think I still love him." She started crying again. "But you knew. You said he wouldn't hurt us. And so did he."

"But he would if he knew I told you. That's why I didn't say it in front of him."

"You don't know that for sure."

"But I didn't want to take the chance, and I don't think you want to, either. You saw those...what happened in the bowling alley."

"Yeah, I know. I think I gotta take a walk."

"I'll go with you."

"I kinda wanna be alone right now. No offence, but I've got a lot on my mind."

"Okay. Well, I'm here when you want to talk."

"Thanks, Tom. I really appreciate your help. You're a good friend."

"Aw, thanks, Lauren. Coming from you, that really means a lot."

"See you later."

"Hey, Lauren."

"Yeah?"

Tom handed her some money. "In case you wanna go to the movies or dinner or something."

"Thanks." Lauren smiled. Then she left.

¥¥¥

In the tiny town of Almonte, there were no cars on the road at one in the morning. Lauren walked along, trying to think. There was a lot on her mind. It was very dark and very quiet. Then Lauren heard another voice.

"Hey, Lauren."

"Hi, Demitri." Normally Lauren wouldn't of wanted Demitri around, but tonight she welcomed the company.

"Hey, Lauren. Where you going?"

"Nowhere in particular. I just needed some fresh air."

"I'm sorry about your boyfriend. I really am."

"Thanks, Demitri."

"Can I help? Would you like to talk? Maybe over dinner?"

"Demitri, please. Not right now."

"Okay. So, when's the trial?"

"Next week. July 18."

¥¥¥

Next day-jail-8:00 am

"Okay, everybody, time to wake up!" yelled the man, ringing the bell.

Harvey thought about who he should work on next. He needed a new victem. The 7-year old girl, Emily Rose, seemed very promising. So, he decided to start on her tomorrow night. Of course, everyone was working very hard. Around eleven, Harvey decided it was time for a break. He lay down on the ground with his hands behind his head.

"Hey, what are you doing?" asked the man beside him.

"Taking a break."

"Are you insane? You're gonna get in trouble!"

"Come on! Lie back, relax. If you're not tired, you must be the crazy one."

"Hey!" A woman ran over.

"Oh, you've done it now," muttered the guy beside Harvey, then got back to work.

"Hey!" yelled the warden. "Get back to work!"

"Make me!" cried Harvey. A few people stared at him.

"Dude-" cautioned the man to his left.

"Chill, I got this." Harvey chuckled and pulled his hat over his face.

"Hey!" The warden took the hat off Harvey's face. "You hear me? Get back to work!"

"Hell, no!" Harvey jumped up. "Now gimme back my hat!"

"No," said the warden. "Get to work! NOW."

Harvey focused all his power. He looked right into the warden's eyes and started getting inside her head. The warden dropped to her knees, holding her head. Her face was twisted in agony.

Everyone was staring at Harvey now.

"Stop that!" she yelled through her tears.

"Gimme my hat back!" cried Harvey.

"Fine, you can have it back! Let me go! Please!"

Harvey let the warden go, releasing her from his power. He was laughing. The warden gave him his hat back.

"I'm thirsty," said the man to Harvey's left.

"Hey!" said Harvey. "You get everyone some Pepsi! We're all thirsty!"

"Right away, sir!" The warden ran off.

Harvey sat back down. "Hey, what's your name?" he asked the guy to his left.

"Jack." He stared into Harvey's eyes, his face full of fear. His voice was a whisper. He swallowed.

"Hey, chill! I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?" Harvey put his hands up defensively. He smiled, trying to look friendly.

Jack took a step back. "What did you DO to her?"

"Well, it doesn't really matter. Whatever I did, it payed off. I got us some drinks and some rest time. I know you're all tired."

Jack smiled back and sat down.

"So, what did you do, exactly?" asked Harvey. "What are you in here for?"

"Me and some friends had a really late party night. We...uh...stole some stuff. Then we wrecked somebody's car after we smoked some weed. We were drinking, too, and then we ate some special brownies and broke into some guy's house."

"Yikes," said Harvey. "You like drugs?"

"Yeah." Jack sighed.

"I can hook you up. I know a guy."

"Really? That'd be great."

"I won't tell anybody."

"You're really cool, man!"

"Here. I'll give you my card." Harvey handed Jack a card.

"Hey, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Harvey Wickston. But don't tell anybody. Just call me Cooper, okay? Cooper Branson."

"I won't tell anybody that if you don't tell anyone about the drugs."

"Deal."

"So why are you in here?"

"I killed some people. You hear about the murders in Almonte?"

"I didn't hear about that. Tell me, please."

"Well, a bunch of people got killed. By me. You don't want to know the details. It'll give you nightmares."

"Whoa. You're hard core!"

"I'll get you outta here. I promise. You're a good guy, Jack. You don't deserve this."

"Thanks. That's really cool of you."

"Oh, awesome, here come the sodas!"

The warden was holding a phone in one hand and dragging a cooler behind her. She put the cooler down in front of the boys and held the phone out to Harvey.

"Here. Phone call for Cooper Branson."

"I'll take care of it. Thanks."

When he took the phone from the warden, their hands touched. She jumped away. Harvey chuckled, then said,"Boo."

The warden ran off.

"Hello?" asked Harvey.

"Cooper?" said Lauren. "What happened?"

"I'm in prison."

"Why?"

"Because I am. That's why."

"What did you do?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss it." Harvey sipped his Pepsi.

"They wouldn't put you in jail for no reason, Coop."

"Are you gonna come bail me out? Or do I have to call Demitri and send him over there?"

Despite her bad mood, Lauren smiled. "Demitri hates you."

"But he loves you."

"I'll bail you out tomorrow, okay? Can you hang in there?"

"Yeah. Actually, I think I kinda like it here."

"Alright, well I gotta go. I love you."

"Love you too, babe."

Harvey hung up. He took another mouthful of Pepsi.

"So, who was that?" asked Jack.

"That's my girlfriend, Lauren."

"Aw, that's cool. You got a family or something?"

"Well, I used to. My mom, my dad, and my brother."

Harvey realized too late what he'd done.

"I wish I had a brother," murmured Jack. "Then I'd have someone to play fighting games with. And Mario Kart."

"Tell you what. As soon as we get outta jail, I'll come over to your house, and we'll play fighting games together. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Hey, here comes the warden. You're getting out tonight. Hey!" Harvey called after her. "Come here! I wanna talk to you!"

The boys watched and laughed as Harvey chased the warden around. They drank so much Pepsi that they all passed out on the ground.

¥¥¥

"Cooper," someone said in the dark.

Harvey jumped. He had been focusing on giving Emily nightmares. He hadn't noticed that Jack was sitting right beside him.

"Hey, Jack. What's up?"

"What are you doing? It looks like you were focusing really hard on something."

"Eh, sort of."

"Do you ever sleep?"

"Yeah, I do. Just not tonight. Why are you awake?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Why not?"

"I was thinking about how we're getting out of here tomorrow morning."

"Yeah. That's gonna be great. Think I should get these guys a game room or something before I leave?"

"I think they'll be okay now."

"That's fine. If they ever need a guy, tell them to think that they need me to come to them, and I'll pick up the message."

"Cool! You can read minds?"

"Yeah. Think of any number."

"Okay. Got it."

"7335."

"Whoa! That's really something." He stretched and yawned. "I think I'm gonna try and get some sleep now."

"Yeah, we should probably go to sleep. I'm pretty tired. See you tomorrow."

They both went to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So in this chapter you met Jack. he also becomes pretty important later on.**

**So, yeah....**

**Anyway, love and peace and everything!**


	10. Chapter 10-Talk

Lauren got to jail at ten in the morning and paid the bail. Then she went to get Harvey. Everyone was sitting, drinking Pepsi and talking.

Harvey was talking to Jack. He looked up when he saw Lauren coming.

"Hey, what's up?" said Harvey.

"Hey, Lauren," said Jack, and smiled.

"Hey, Cooper told me all about you!"

"Come on, buddy." Harvey helped Jack up. "Time to go."

Lauren folded her arms across her chest and glared at Harvey. "He's not riding with us. We need to talk. Alone."

"Please let me come with," begged Jack. "You won't even know I'm there. Honest."

Lauren sighed. "Fine. He can come."

They left then, and the cops tried to stop them, but Harvey just said, "If you don't like it, talk to the warden."

They all got in the car and drove off.

"Tom says you did it," said Lauren.

"Did what?"

"Killed all those people. Did you?"

"Of course not! Why would I?"

"Tom says that's why you knew he wouldn't hurt us. The killer."

"I wouldn't let him."

There was a long silence after that. Harvey waited.

"Come with me," Lauren said finally.

"What?"

"To L.A. I'm going to live with my family, my parents and my brother."

"When did you decide this?"

"This morning."

"I don't know if I can go with you."

"I don't care if you killed those people or not! I still want you to come."

"It's not you, okay? It's me. Besides, they need me here. I need to be here."

"Why?" whined Lauren through her tears.

"Look, I need to protect my friends!"

"You need to protect ME!"

"Lauren, please. Calm down. This is a very bad idea."

"It's a bad idea for us to be apart," whispered Lauren.

"Pull over," said Harvey suddenly. "Pull over."

Lauren pulled over.

"Chinese food," said Jack.

"Yeah. Come on, let's go," said Lauren.

Harvey stared into her eyes.

"What?" asked Lauren.

"Fine, I'll go with you."

"Great. We catch a flight tomorrow night. Now let's go get some lunch."

¥¥¥

They got home around one. Harvey was exhausted, but he opened the store because it was what he felt like doing, and he was full of spareribs and fortune cookies. He took a bunch of Reese back up to the store and opened it up. He ate Reese cups while he did business with his customers. Business was booming! Everybody heard that he had just gotten out of jail. They were all asking him questions and talking to him. Harvey was really enjoying all the attention and everything.

Everyone was wondering why he was in jail, but he wouldn't tell them.

He locked the doors at around ten pm.

He fell asleep on the counter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yeah, so i dunno.**

**< 3**


	11. Chapter 11-The Ringmaster

"Hey, check this out." Twister tossed the newspaper on the table. "This guy got arrested for murder."

The Ringmaster put another mouthful of cereal in her mouth and examined the paper.

"This guy's insane," said Twister. "And he's an idiot!"

"Hmm, that's interesting," said the Ringmaster.

"Hey, did Lois Thomas call you yet?"

"Oh, yeah. He landed in Mexico last night."

"Cool! Was he in a good mood?"

"Not really."

"Maybe this mission will help. I hope he cheers up soon. Oh, yeah, the boss wants to see you after breakfast."

"What? Why?"

"Hell if I know."

¥¥¥

The Ringmaster knocked on the door. The boss was on the phone, but she waved the Ringmaster inside.

"Yeah," she said. "Okay. Talk to you later. Bye."

Then she hung up.

"Hey," said the Ringmaster. "Twister said you wanted to see me."

"Yeah, I do. We need to talk."

"What's this about?"

"You've been slipping. What's going on?"

"I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

"You have one more chance. I have a mission for you. Today. In that little town down there."

"You mean Almonte?"

"Yeah, that one. This is your last chance. If you screw this up, that's it. Got it?"

"Yeah, okay."

"I'm counting on you. You're actually lucky you're still here. If Lois Thomas was still here, this mission would be his, and you know what that would have meant for you."

"Don't worry. I won't let you down."

"Good. I hope not. Here's the file. The deadline is 2 pm. You are dismissed."

"See you later."

The Ringmaster hurried out.

"What'd she say?" asked Twister.

"I'm on thin ice. I gotta go do this mission."

"I believe in you."

"Thanks. I gotta go."

"Ok, see ya later!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yeah, so we met the Ringmaster. Great! Some shit's going down!**

**< 3**

**She's gonna be really important later on, and so is Twister, so remember them!**

**See ya!!**

  
  
**Update-July 3, 2016:  
Wow. I cannot believe how long it's been since I first introduced the Ringmaster and Twister. They have been through so much with Harvey since then that, looking back, I can't believe there was a time when they didn't know each other!**


	12. Chapter 12-Fight

Harvey took $1000 plus everything he'd made at his convenience store the previous day, and decided to take a day off and go downtown for a day of fun. He needed a day off. First he went to the science museum, then went out for lunch. He went to Johnny Rocket's and got enough chicken wings to feed a bear. Then he went to the art museum. He drove around for almost 10 minutes looking for a parking spot, then he found one. Just as he was driving into the parking spot, but another car got into the spot before he pulled in.

Harvey climbed out of his car. "Hey, what are you trying to do?" he cried. "That was my spot!"

Out of the other car climbed Mayor Cannonball. "My spot now!"

"Cannonball." There was a little edge to Harvey's voice. "Give me my spot back."

"No."

"No? You're saying no? Well, then-"he said with a dark chuckle,"-I guess I'll just have to fight you for it."

"Okay, then."

"Are we gonna fight or not?"

Harvey grinned darkly. The darkness glinted in his eyes. "It's your neck, I guess."

Then Mayor Cannonball hurled himself at Harvey. Harvey used his powers to negate the attack. Mayor Cannonball was thrown against one of the cars, and the alarm went off.

  
 _Dammit, that is so freaking annoying_! Harvey thought.

They fought for about ten minutes, kicking and punching at each other.

Then Mayor Cannonball threw Harvey to the ground. The last thing Harvey saw before he blacked out was someone knocking Mayor Cannonball off of him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Mayor Cannonball is the boss of the SHA, which is why he is fighting Harvey, so you'll also find out more about Harvey and Mayor Cannonball and so forth later on...and also,**

**I don't know where I'm going with this shit, i forgot what i was gonna write..**

**< 3**


	13. Chapter 13-Meeting

When Mayor Cannonball drove away, the Ringmaster sighed, and then groaned.

"I have to do everything myself," she muttered.

She half-dragged, half-carried Harvey to her car and buckled him up in the back.

Then her phone rang.

She answered her Bluetooth. "Hello?"

"Hey," said the boss. "What happened? Did you get him?"

  
 _Oh, great,_  thought the Ringmaster. "Uh...well...I didn't get the victim."

"What? You didn't? You were lucky to get this chance!"

The Ringmaster's heart sped up. "I know, I know, I just..." Then she broke off. She didn't know how to finish.

"Hang on. Twister wants to talk to you."

"Hey," said Twister.

"Hey," the Ringmaster choked out.

"What happened? How did you fail?" Twister's voice was sweet and soft. The Ringmaster could tell her best friend felt terrible.

"There was..." she looked toward Harvey. "...trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Heroes and...fighting...and..."

"You got in a fight with the SHA?"

"Not me, exactly. Someone...someone else."

" _Who?"_  Twister pressed.

"You know the guy from the papers."

"You met him? Can you give me a second?"

The Ringmaster read the mind signals of both Twister and the boss.

  
 _Remember that guy from the papers?_  thought Twister.

  
 _The one from Almonte?_  asked the boss.  _Who got arrested for all those murders?_

_Yeah, that one. The Ringmaster saved him from the heroes._

_Gimme that phone!_

"Did you really meet that guy from the papers?" asked the boss. "And save him?"

"Yeah," said the Ringmaster. "I did."

There was a long moment of silence. The Ringmaster was about to say something when the boss spoke.

"All right," she said. "I'll make you a deal. If you can bring that guy back here, I'll keep you."

"Really? Thank you so much!"

"Remember, the deadline is 2:00."

Then there was a dial tone.

The Ringmaster hung up. Then she heard a groan from the backseat.

"Where am I?" asked Harvey, still slightly groggy. His words were slightly slurred.

"You're in a car," replied the Ringmaster.

"I know," snapped Harvey. "But I'm not in  _my_ car. Why am I here? Who are you? What happened?"

"I saved your life."

"And then you kidnapped me?"

"Would an ounce of gratitude kill you?" huffed the Ringmaster, beginning to wish Harvey had stayed unconscious. "How about a thank you?"

"That would be great!"

The Ringmaster made a disgusted noise.

"First of all, there's been a huge mistake. I catch people. I don't get caught."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! I did not  _catch_ you! I saved you. Mayor Cannonball was about to kill you."

"You're right, I'm sorry. Where are we going?"

"Home."

"You know where I live?"

"Not yours! Mine."

"Okay, well, could you please take me back to my house? I have to catch a flight at six. Tonight."

"Listen, my job lies in the balance."

Harvey burst into laughter. "What?"

The Ringmaster pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"My job is in jeopardy," she said quietly. "Please just come back with me. Please." She turned around and looked straight into his eyes. Harvey's glare turned into a grin when he thought he saw a glint of darkness in her eyes.

He sighed. "Fine. I'll go with you, hang out for a few minutes, meet your friends, and then I'll go back."

"Thanks."

"Well, you saved my life. I owe you. By the way, my name's Harvey Wickston."

The Ringmaster started driving again. "I'm the Ringmaster."

"Hey, I've heard of you! You're darkness!"

"Yeah, I am. I heard you got arrested for some murders recently. Are you a villain?"

"No, I'm darkness."

The Ringmaster was about to say something, but then her phone rang again.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey!" said Lois Thomas. "How are things?"

"Good. How's Mexico?"

"It's...interesting. They have good tacos here. How's Twister?"

"She's great."

"So, I heard about this last chance. The one the boss gave you. How's that going?"

"Well, I met somebody."

"Ooh, love!"

"What? No! He's a villain."

"Oh. Okay."

"Darkness," muttered Harvey from the backseat.

"Darkness," corrected the Ringmaster.

"Oh," said Lois. "So, did you get the victim?"

"No. The boss said she'd let it slide if I brought back the villain."

"Really? That's cool. I'm glad I was in Mexico, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten this last chance."

"That's really sweet, Lois. Thanks."

"All right, I gotta go. See you Saturday."

"You, too."

They both hung up then.

"I'm gonna have to find my car after," said Harvey. "I want it back."

"I'm sure we can work something out," said the Ringmaster. "Hey, we're almost there. Check it out, it's right up ahead."

"Is that the villains' castle?"

"Yeah," the Ringmaster breathed. Sometimes she could barely believe it herself.

The castle was huge and dark. It was up on a hill. The Ringmaster started driving up the winding road. She pulled out a radio.

"Twister."

"Yes?"

"Would you open the drawbridge, please?"

"One sec."

The drawbridge opened. The Ringmaster parked the car next to the castle.

Then she unlocked the door to the castle and they both went inside.

Twister and Dark Mortimer were in the living room, watching the football game, drinking root beer, eating popcorn, chocolate, and candy. They were yelling and cheering and laughing. The Ringmaster cleared her throat, and they both looked up.

"Hey," said Mortimer, quickly observing Harvey. "Why isn't he tied up?"

"This isn't the victim," said the Ringmaster. "This is Harvey Wickston."

"No, this is Cooper Branson," said Twister. "That's what the paper says."

"His name is Harvey. He lied to the paper."

"Oh, I see. A liar," grumbled Twister.

"Don't take it personally, I lied to everybody."

"Including the paper," said the Ringmaster. "Wait, did you lie to your girlfriend? If you have one."

"Yeah, Lauren. I lied to her. I'm still lying to her."

"So where are you going? You said you were catching a flight. Where to?"

"Los Angeles."

"Want a root beer?" asked Dark Mortimer.

"Sure, thanks," said Harvey.

"Catch." Dark Mortimer tossed the bottle across the room. Harvey caught it as if it were a football.

Mortimer cheered. "I like this guy!" he cried.

Twister made a gagging sound.

"Don't mind her," said the Ringmaster. "She just...she doesn't like newcomers."

Harvey just sipped his root beer, but he did glare at Twister.

He jumped when both Mortimer and Twister yelled at the same time.

"Yes!" cried Dark Mortimer.

"No!" groaned Twister, then muttered, "Crud."

"Yes, I won," gloated Mortimer. "Pay up, come on."

Twister handed Mortimer a wad of cash, still grumbling to herself. Mortimer laughed, flipping through his money.

"I won again," he laughed.

"Hey, who's this?" asked a voice from behind him.

They all turned. Then Twister started laughing.

"Hey, look, Harvey," she laughed. "It's your identical twin!"

For half a second, Harvey saw Trey, and he felt different. It felt like a dream.

"Come on," groaned the Ringmaster. "Silver, that's not fair."

"Okay." The mock Harvey sighed. "Fine." The Silver Masquerade changed back. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"This is Harvey Wickston," said the Ringmaster.

"Hey, I'm the Silver Masquerade," said Silver. "How's it going? Nice to meet you." Harvey was still slightly dazed, but he shook hands with Silver.

"Silver!" called Mortimer. "Heads up!"

Mortimer tossed Silver a bottle of root beer. Silver tried to catch it, but it smashed on the floor.

"I'll get another one," said Mortimer.

"No, don't get up," said Harvey. He brought the bottle back together and brought the root beer back into it.

Everyone stared at him as he handed it to the Silver Masquerade.

"Whoa," said Silver.

Twister just snorted.

"That was really awesome," said a voice from the door.

Everyone turned around and looked the other way now.

"Well, who's this now who appreciates my abilities?" asked Harvey.

The woman at the door giggled. "I'm Black Dawn." She smiled at Harvey. "You must be the guy from the paper. Cooper Branson."

"He lied to the paper," said Twister. "His name is Harvey Wickston."

Black Dawn stared at Harvey with intense interest.

"Well, that is  _fascinating!"_

"Thanks," said Harvey. "Gang's all here."

"Sort of," said Black Dawn. "Lois Thomas is on a mission in Mexico, and the Dark Lord is spending the next couple of days with his kids. It's his weekend off, and he won't be back until Monday."

Harvey choked on a sip of root beer. " _Kids?!"_ he exclaimed.

"He has twins," said the Ringmaster. "Jonathan and Julia."

"Wait," said Harvey. "You're telling me the leader of Darkstar Corp has kids?"

Black Dawn and the Ringmaster exchanged meaningful glances. Harvey was about to try to read their minds.

Then the Ringmaster said, "They're each about a month old. Their mom died giving birth, but the Dark Lord didn't really care about her. He just wanted some kids to carry on the darkness." Then she looked at Black Dawn and Black Dawn nodded.

"The Dark Lord's not the leader," said Black Dawn. "I am."

"Are you serious?" asked Harvey.

"Definitely," said Black Dawn. "We use the Dark Lord as a cover-up. He's not really the boss."

"Well,  _that_ is fascinating!" exclaimed Harvey.

"I like this guy," said Black Dawn, pointing to Harvey.

The villains all nodded in agreement, except for Twister, who stuck her tongue out at him. Harvey rolled his eyes and sighed in an insanely bored way.

"Which is good," continued Black Dawn, ignoring their childish behavior.

"So, if that's everyone, I should probably go now. Lauren wanted to meet me around three, so we can have an early dinner. Thanks for the root beer." He turned to the Ringmaster. "Thanks again for saving my life."

"No way," said Twister. "You're not going anywhere."

The Ringmaster looked just as confused as Harvey was.

"I don't understand," said Harvey slowly. "I thought you hated newcomers. Why do you want me to stay?" He deliberately directed the question towards Twister.

Twister snorted. "I don't." She looked towards the boss. "She does."

Harvey turned to glare at the Ringmaster, but his glare softened when he saw that she was just as confused as he was. He looked back towards the boss.

"You're confused," said the boss. "You're both confused."

"You said if I brought him back, you'd let me live!" cried the Ringmaster, without thinking.

"You didn't tell me  _that_ part!" exclaimed Harvey.

"Apparently I didn't explain myself the right way," said Black Dawn.

"Why?" asked Harvey. "Why are you going to kill her?"

"She messed up," explained Black Dawn. "Too many times. This was her last chance, but since you obviously blew it.  _Again._  That's what happens here at Darkstar Corp. If you screw up, you die. She has to die."

"She's not going to die!" snapped Harvey.

"I meant that you need to stay," said the boss.

Twister whispered something in Dark Mortimer's ear.

"You should have made yourself clear!" said Harvey.

Everyone was staring at them now.

"You told her if she brought me back, she could keep her job-and her life!"

"Harvey, don't," said the Ringmaster quietly.

"Ringmaster, step back," said Harvey in a hard tone.

"No!" The Ringmaster grabbed him and held him back.

"Lucky you," said Black Dawn. "She saved your life. Again."

Harvey sniffed. Then he rolled his eyes and grumbled to himself.

"Well," he said. "That's different, then."

"Why do you care?" asked the Ringmaster. "You said it wasn't a real relationship."

"I  _don't_ care," said Harvey, chuckling. "Do you guys have a game room?"

"Well, come on," said the Ringmaster.

"Yeah, we'll show you around," said Black Dawn.

The girls took Harvey for a tour. They had the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom (two, actually), and the game room. They had a bunch of other rooms, too. The dungeon. But there was one room that particularly intrigued Harvey. It was mostly empty, but there was a steel table. It had handcuffs and ankle cuffs attached to it. Harvey chuckled darkly. The darkness was clear in his eyes as he imagined his victims held down by the steel of the cuffs, screaming. They would see his real power.

The girls watched his crazed expression.

"Can I have this room?" he asked.

"Sure," said the boss.

"What for?" asked the Ringmaster.

"Oh, just so I can have some fun," said Harvey, with a twinkle of darkness in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So what's gonna happen next? Guess we'll find out!**

**Love and peace!**

**Also please comment and all that other stuff.**

 

 

Chapter 13.5-The Good, the Bad, and the Crazy

 

Harvey and the Ringmaster were together, hanging out in the game room, playing pool.

"You know I'm gonna kick your ass," said Harvey. "I've been playing pool since I was six."

"We'll see about that." The Ringmaster smiled.

"Choose your weapon of mass destruction," said Harvey.

"Watch it." The Ringmaster's eyes were playful. "You might get hurt, big boy."

" _You_ might get hurt."

"So, you're darkness?"

"Yes. I've had powers since I was very young. Ever since I can remember, in fact. It was just a matter of learning how to direct them."

"Who taught you?"

"My father. And we had a lot of help from his friend, Lester."

"Why not your mom?"

"Well, my mom retired from the SHA so she could marry my dad, because, as you know, light and darkness cannot be together."

"So your mom loved your dad enough to become evil?"

"No. Not evil. She just wasn't one of the good guys anymore. Then she got pregnant with me. The readings were insane. The hospital. The blood tests. All that shit. My mom knew I was darkness. Her plan was to kill herself. But my dad got home early and stopped her. If she'd done it, I wouldn't be standing here right now."

"Whoa. That's insane!"

"She did get away with it after I was born. She wished she hadn't married my dad. Gotten pregnant with me. My dad was darkness, though. He'd worked with Lester for a long time. Coincidentally enough, at Darkstar Corp."

"That's why she didn't teach you. That's sad."

"I didn't care. I was darkness. I pretended to care, though, around my dad. Then he taught me the most important lesson of all. Fake everything. No emotional attachment ever."

Then Dark Mortimer came in, carrying two root beers.

"Hey, guys," he said. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I just thought you guys might be thirsty."

"Thanks," said the Ringmaster.

"Who's winning?"

"Me, at least for now. Harvey was just telling me this really interesting story about his parents."

"Really? That's cool."

"His father worked at Darkstar Corp."

"What a coincidence."

"That's what I thought, too."

"Twister wanted me to tell you that you missed band practice."

"I figured as much."

"We also ordered pizza. Also, the boss wants you to get Patricia Thompson on Saturday, right after Lois Thomas comes back, and she told me to ask Harvey if he wants me to go with you."

"What are we doing?" asked Harvey.

"We're gonna kill Patricia Thompson," said the Ringmaster, obviously excited.

"A kill? I'm all for that. I'll come. Thanks for inviting me."

"Okay, cool," said Dark Mortimer. "We gotta go do some surveillance now, so I'll leave you two in peace."

When he was gone, Harvey smiled at the Ringmaster, and the Ringmaster smiled back.

The Ringmaster giggled.

"So you have powers?" she said.

"Yeah."

"What kind of powers?"

"I can read minds, get inside people's heads, and I can give people nightmares." He looked right into her eyes. "And I'm  _great_  at the kill!"

"Whoa! That's cool!"

The Ringmaster put another ball in.

"Wow! How do you do that?" asked Harvey.

"Years of practice."

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, then the Ringmaster spoke.

"I can read minds, too," she said.

"Can you read my girlfriend's mind?"

"Hang on."

They both stood there quietly. Finally the Ringmaster spoke.

"Your girlfriend is wondering where you are and why you haven't shown up. She's wondering and annoyed that she can't reach you on your phone, either. She's already called your friends-"

"My fake friends."

"Frank and Tom. They also don't know where you are, or how to reach you, and they're getting all frantic trying to find you. If Lauren doesn't find you soon, she's going to go to your house and wait for you."

"Wow, she's going to be really mad. I guess I'm not going home tonight."

The Ringmaster won. Then she smiled at Harvey.

Then Mortimer called, "Pizza!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you this chapter helped you guys find out a little more about Harvey and his family.**

**< 3**


	14. Chapter 14-Saturday

Harvey got to see Jenny Woods in his dream again that night. Got to hear her cry and scream. Torturing her to death. It had been fun, and now he could relive the experience.

He woke up to voices. He recognized the Ringmaster's voice.

"Is he awake yet?"

The other voice was Black Dawn's.

"I don't think so."

"Hang on."

"Don't! Don't wake him up."

"Should we tell him?"

"His dreams are...different."

"Shh! Hang on."

Harvey thought he felt somebody poke him, so he jumped up and grabbed the Ringmaster's arm.

The boss squealed and jumped off the bed, giggling.

"Good morning," said Harvey.

"Hi." The Ringmaster was smiling as she looked down. "Can you let me go?"

"Maybe I won't." Harvey looked into her eyes. "Maybe I'll have to keep you!"

He tossed her on the bed. The Ringmaster laughed and squealed.

The boss started running when Harvey cried, "Come back here! I'll get you too!!"

The Ringmaster started running after them.

They chased each other into the kitchen, where Dark Mortimer was making pancakes. Harvey tackled Black Dawn to the floor. She laughed and squealed and screamed.

"Come on, guys, not in the kitchen," complained Mortimer. But they were barely listening.

The Ringmaster grabbed his wrist. "I got him, I got him!" she cried gleefully.

Harvey squirmed free and grabbed her other wrist.

She grabbed both his arms, and flipped him over onto his back. He smiled up at her. "Hi."

She smiled back. "Hi."

She pushed her face down until their noses were touching. They weaved their fingers through each other's.

Suddenly an alarm went off.

"Oh, shoot!" cried the Ringmaster, jumping up.

"Heroes," muttered Black Dawn.

"Come on, guys. Harvey, you stay here while we go check it out."

"Why?" whined Harvey. "I wanted to go have some fun!"

"You had enough fun yesterday." The Ringmaster glared at Harvey. "You almost got yourself killed.  _Remember?"_

Harvey sighed. "Fine. Go on."

The Ringmaster went off, following Dark Mortimer to the back entrance, where the heroes had supposedly broken in. Harvey, left behind, turned off the stove so the pancakes wouldn't burn.

^^^

The villains found Lois Thomas hanging upside down, a rope caught around his left foot. Twister was already there, trying to untie him.

"Wow, this is really tight," she said as she worked.

"Lois," whined the Ringmaster. "How did this happen?"

"Sorry," said Lois, blushing. "I don't know how this happened."

"I've told you-"

"I know, I know. Use the front."

The Ringmaster grabbed both of Lois's hands, and when the knot came loose, she helped him back up onto his feet.

"Okay, this is the last time you're gonna do this, right?" asked the Ringmaster.

Lois's face flushed red. "Yes."

"Well, you might be interested to know that we have a new recruit," the Ringmaster giggled. "And he is-"

They both turned around. Harvey was standing up against the door.

"Standing right there," finished the Ringmaster.

Lois's eyes widened and he stepped behind the Ringmaster.

  
 _I knew something was awry when she said Lois Thomas,_ thought Harvey.

"Well, well, well," said Harvey with the chuckle. "Look how things work out."

"Save me," Lois breathed in the Ringmaster's ear.

"What's going on?" asked the Ringmaster. She looked at Lois and then back at Harvey. "Between you two."

"Ringmaster," said Harvey. "Please step aside. I don't want you to get hurt."

Lois threw up on the floor behind her.

"He was one of my former victims," explained Harvey. "The SHA showed up and saved him."

"The one that got away," muttered the Ringmaster, smiling.

Lois was crying now. "Don't let him kill me!" he whispered.

"Okay, okay," said Black Dawn. "Maybe he was one of your victims before, but now he's a member of Darkstar Corp, and that makes him untouchable, especially if you're also with Darkstar Corp," the boss told Harvey. "I know you had your problems in the past, but it's time to make up."

"And make out!" added Mortimer with a giggle.

"Sorry I tried to kill you," said Harvey.

Lois took one look at Harvey and ran off.

The Ringmaster sighed. "Come on, let's go make some brownies," she said, and Harvey nodded.

^^^

The boys invited Harvey to watch the football game with them.

They were eating popcorn and m&ms and whooping and cheering. Then Harvey got up to go to the bathroom. He stopped in the kitchen on the way back.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," said the Ringmaster, smiling. "How's the game?"

"Pretty good. Would you like to come watch the game with us?"

"Maybe next time. Here, try this."

She put a spoonful of brownie batter in Harvey's mouth.

"Needs more sugar," said Harvey.

The Ringmaster giggled and put another spoonful of sugar in the brownie batter.

"You should also add cinnamon and maybe some m&ms."

"Good idea." She took a bag out of the cupboard and poured it into the bowl. Then she took out a whisk to mix with.

"Don't use that," said Harvey. Whisks are for eggs. You need a wooden spoon."

He took one out of the drawer and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she said, and as she took it from him, their hands touched. Neither of them let go. They just stared into each other's eyes.

Just then, Dark Mortimer came in. "What is going  _on_  in here?" he demanded.

Harvey dropped his hold.

"Oh," said Mortimer. "I see."

"We're making brownies," said the Ringmaster, still staring at Harvey. "You want some?"

"Sure...when they're finished...but right now...well, I can see you two are super busy, so...I'll just see you later."

After he left, the Ringmaster started stirring.

"You're doing that wrong," said Harvey, staring at her. He was smiling. "You're stirring too hard and too fast. And you keep interrupting the flow. Don't take the spoon out. It needs to be one fluid motion. Here, hold the bowl with one hand while you stir."

The Ringmaster did exactly what he said. She mixed in some cinnamon as well.

"So," she said as she was stirring. "We were monitoring your dreams last night. "

"And what did you find?"

"You were torturing someone in your dream."

Harvey laughed. "Oh, yeah, Jenny Woods. I had a lot of fun with her."

Then they heard a voice. "What are you guys doing in here?" It was Twister.

"Making brownies," said the Ringmaster.

"Black Dawn says to tell you guys you have to go get Patricia Thompson now." She smiled at the Ringmaster. "I'll put the brownies in the oven for you, no big deal."

The Ringmaster smiled. "I like that idea!" She grabbed Harvey's hand. "Come on, let's go." She led him out of the kitchen.

Twister made another gagging noise. "You guys make you sick, you know that?" she called after them.

^^^

Harvey and the Ringmaster sat in Black Dawn's office.

"Okay," said the boss. "Here's the file. You're picking her up at her convenience store. The address is in there. Ringmaster, you get Patricia. Harvey, you get her boyfriend. But wait until they're split up."

"Perfect," said the Ringmaster. "Let's go."

She grabbed Harvey's arm and pulled him away.

^^^

As they were driving, the Ringmaster said, "That's cool. You own a convenience store just like Patricia."

"Yeah. The convenience store is part of my cover, just like my girlfriend and my friends."

"Don't you want recognition for your work?" asked the Ringmaster curiously.

"If you must know, I actually like the Cooper Branson life. Especially the store. It's a nice change from my evil villain persona."

"Oh, well, don't worry. The villains will help you keep your secret. We can do that. It'll be almost too easy for us."

"Well, that's real sweet of you guys." Harvey laughed. Then he looked at the Ringmaster. "Tell me about you. I want to get to know you."

"Okay. She said, her eyes flashing to the staff beside her seat, the staff that she always carried around with her. "Well, I really like lollipops" she began. "Want one?" she asked, handing one to Harvey. He rolled his eyes playfully and accepted a red lollipop.

"Also, did you see my staff?"

Harvey glanced at it. "Oh, yeah, I saw that. It's very nice. You take very good care of it."

"I have to. It's where my power comes from."

"Really? I thought the power came from inside you when you were darkness," Harvey said in a confused tone.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want it inside me, so Black Dawn showed me a way to get it into the staff." She smiled at him and giggled. "Anyway, if you ever want recognition for your work, just let us know."

"I won't. But you should have another identity, too. Superheroes have secret identities. So why not us?"

They pulled up beside the bushes, at least 100 yards away from the store.

"That's actually not such a bad idea," said the Ringmaster. She surveyed Harvey with some interest. "I can just take off my costume."

Harvey chuckled. "There you go! Oh, I almost forgot, how's my girlfriend?"

"Still mad at you. And still in your house."

"Waiting for me."

"Yup. By the way, I noticed you haven't killed many adults in your killing. I mean, you have killed some adults, but you don't normally kill anyone over 18. Why is that?"

"The younger they are, the easier it is to scare them, and the louder they scream."

"What?" asked the Ringmaster.

"Shh!" hissed Harvey suddenly. "Look!" He pointed outside the store. "Here they come."

The Ringmaster took the binoculars from around her neck and peeked out the windshield of the car. Patricia and her boyfriend were facing each other.

"I thought they already did this," said Harvey. "That's why we came here, isn't it?"

"Shut up so I can translate!" snapped the Ringmaster.

Harvey sighed.

"Okay, Brandon's talking to her. He's asking her to work late. She said yes. He asked her to lock up after."

Patricia went back inside the store. Brandon stared walking to his car to drive home.

"Okay," said the Ringmaster. "Time to go. Be careful. Let's go!"

They hopped out of the car. Harvey tossed the Ringmaster some rope.

"You know what to do?" he asked.

"Yeah. Meet me back here in 20 minutes. And be careful."

"Careful," Harvey snorted. "Ha!"

Then they went in two different directions. The Ringmaster went after Patricia and Harvey went after Brandon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter, because i really enjoyed writing it. and i hope this chapter helped you learn a bit more about the Ringmaster.**

**My hope is that you guys will learn something about the characters and stuff in each chapter.**


	15. Chapter 15-The Kill

Patricia Thompson. 23 years old and working late. There wasn't going to be any business, though. Patricia took a box of cookies down from the shelf and started eating them. She enjoyed the chocolaty taste of the cookies mixed with the peaceful music coming from the speakers.

Then a woman cleared her throat. Patricia spun around in her chair. She fell backwards out of her chair when she saw the Ringmaster standing there.

She didn't scream. She couldn't. She could hardly breathe.

Patricia started crying as realization sank in. She was going to die.

  
 _Why?_  She thought.

The Ringmaster tied up Patricia and brought her back to the car. Harvey wasn't there yet. No worries. It had only been 5 minutes since they'd parted.

Patricia opened her mouth twice, like she was going to scream, but both times nothing came out, as the Ringmaster was using her powers to make sure her victim couldn't scream. Satisfied with herself, she settled in and waited for Harvey to get back.

^^^

Brandon Wright walked to his car. At 1:30 in the afternoon, he was already exhausted. He always worked the convenience store with his girlfriend, Patricia. On weekends they only worked half days, though. They got less business in the afternoons on weekends.

He climbed in his car, and cranked the key. The radio turned on, but the engine sputtered and choked.

"Hmmm," muttered Brandon. He hit the dashboard and revved the engine, turning the key again and again. The car would not start.

Brandon growled to himself. He got out of the car and opened the hood. Smoke burst into his face, making him choke. He waved it away and sighed.

Then he heard a voice. "Need some help?"

"Yeah," said Brandon. "My car broke down."

Harvey peeked inside the hood. "Oh, this looks bad. We're gonna need a flashlight."

Brandon grabbed a flashlight. He shined it exactly where Harvey told him to.

The two men got their tools and started fixing up the car. Harvey kept telling himself that he needed to ease into it.

Finally he couldn't stand it any longer. He had to do something.

It was time to use his powers. He shorted out the flashlight.

"Aw, nuts," muttered Brandon.

Suddenly Harvey hissed,"Shhh!"

He pretended to be listening to something.

"Get down!" he cried suddenly. Brandon and him both ended up on their stomachs.

"Someone's here," Harvey breathed into Brandon's ear. Then he started listening to Brandon's thoughts. Brandon's heart was pounding. His head was reeling. He was having trouble breathing. Everything about him screamed  _scared._

"Brandon," whispered Harvey. "Listen, I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just trying to warn you. There's a killer out there."

"Where?"

"Right beside you."

Brandon's heart sped up more and he started hyperventilating. He felt dizzy.

He scrambled to his feet and tried to make a run for it. He tried to climb in his car, but it wouldn't start. He tried to breathe as Harvey climbed into the car. He opened the door and clambered out that side really quick. Harvey grabbed for him and didn't quite catch him. Then Brandon tripped over a rock. Before he could get back up, Harvey had grabbed him and tried to hold him down, which was harder because he was fighting and struggling. Harvey tied up his feet carefully, then his wrists behind his back.

"Don't try to escape," said Harvey quietly. "You'll only make things worse for yourself." He chuckled darkly. "Don't worry. You'll be dead soon anyway."

Brandon was crying now. "Please!" he begged. "Let me go!"

"Just try and relax," said Harvey, giving him a sickly sweet smile. "Aw, look at you. So brave," he crooned.

Brandon started crying harder and struggling again. "Don't," he tried. "Please don't do this! No, no, no!"

"Shh, don't be scared," whispered Harvey. "It'll all be over soon."

"No!" moaned Brandon.

Harvey took Brandon back to the car and put him in the backseat with his girlfriend. Then he climbed into the car next to the Ringmaster.

"Where have you been?" she snapped. "You're 15 minutes late!"

"We'll talk later. I actually wanted to say something to the boss about that."

The Ringmaster groaned. "You are so annoying!" she told him.

Harvey burst into laughter as the Ringmaster rammed the car into gear. "You're not the first person who's told me  _that!"_  he said. "I heard it from Lauren before."

"Speaking of Lauren, she's still pissed off at you. And she's drinking your root beer."

Harvey chuckled. "Yeah, she does that when she's mad at me."

"You're in trouble."

"Wait a second," said Harvey suddenly. "I thought Lauren went to L.A. the other day," he remembered.

"She didn't. She's waiting for you."

"Well, I'm not going with her now."

"She'll be pissed about that."

"It's worth it."

The Ringmaster turned on the radio.

"Hey, Boyz 2 Men!" she turned up the volume. "This is my favorite band of all time."

"They're okay," said Harvey, pulling a face. The Ringmaster couldn't help but laugh.

Then she asked, "So, what do you think of Darkstar Corp?"

Harvey made another face, and they both laughed.

The Ringmaster giggled. "Are you thinking about going home soon? You're going to have to face your girlfriend at some point."

"Yeah, I think I'll give it a couple more days."

The Ringmaster shrugged. "Okay. Your funeral." Then they both burst into laughter. Lauren would never try to kill Harvey, and even if she did, Harvey was much too powerful for her. She didn't stand a chance.

They pulled up to the castle, and the drawbridge opened before the Ringmaster could say anything. Obviously someone was watching out for them.

Probably the boss, the Ringmaster figured in her head.

Whoever it was, the Ringmaster called, "Thank you," into the radio. She didn't get a response.

She helped Harvey unload Patricia and Brandon and put them in the dungeon.

"Band practice in twenty minutes!" called Dark Mortimer from the living room.

"Okay!" the Ringmaster called back.

"Oh, yeah, Harvey, we picked up your truck this afternoon."

"Thanks," said Harvey.

Harvey was pleased about that. He remembered leaving his black bag in the front seat of his truck. He couldn't have any fun without his tools.

He chuckled to himself, thinking about how much fun he was going to have later on, making Brandon scream.

His thoughts were interrupted when Mortimer said, "The boss wants to talk to you. Both of you. She's in her office."

"Do you know who opened the drawbridge?" asked the Ringmaster.

"It was Twister. She has something for you."

"I'll talk to her later. The boss is first priority. Come on, Harvey."

As the Ringmaster dragged Harvey away to Black Dawn's office, she called out," Thanks!" over her shoulder, and Harvey assumed she was responding to something that Dark Mortimer had been thinking.

"He likes the brownies," the Ringmaster informed Harvey. She smiled at him. "You were right about the cinnamon."

Harvey chuckled. "Told you."

When they walked into the boss's office, they discovered that she had a plate with five brownies on it, and was eating one.

"These are amazing," she told them. "What did you put in them?"

"Cinnamon," chorused Harvey and the Ringmaster in unison.

"You should make some more."

"We will," decided the Ringmaster. "Tomorrow."

"Harvey?" The boss shot him a curious look. "You helped?"

"The cinnamon was my idea," he admitted.

"How about the m&ms? Whose idea was that?"

"His," said the Ringmaster, and Harvey nodded in agreement.

"What's this about?" asked Harvey. "I'm assuming you didn't just call us in here to talk about brownies."

"Yeah, no I didn't. Sit down." Black Dawn snapped her fingers. Two chairs, which were over in the left corner, came towards them. They sat down.

The boss pushed the plate towards them. "Here, have a brownie."

The Ringmaster and Harvey each took one.

"Hey, Harvey," said the boss. "There's just...there's stuff we usually tell our new recruits, and so I thought I'd tell you. So, where should I start? The castle is soundproofed by darkness."

"Darkness?"

"See, a while ago, I got some soundproofing walls for this place. But they didn't work well enough. That really pissed everybody off. It didn't take me too long to come up with the solution. Darkness. I put a small amount into the drawbridge the next morning, and it spread out among the walls. It worked perfectly. Just a small amount of power, that's all it took. The Ringmaster could party all night, and it wouldn't disturb Mortimer, whose room is right next door."

"That's pretty cool."

"It is." Black Dawn took another brownie. "You don't know why you're here, do you?"

"Because she dies if I leave."

"That's part of it, I guess. But there's something more in depth going on. Something bigger and more important."

"And it involves me," guessed Harvey.

"You and the rest of Darkstar Corporations. There's going to be a fight in four months, or just about. A couple of weeks ago, we decided we needed new recruits." She picked up the last brownie and sighed. "But good villains are so hard to find these days."

"That's why you need me."

"You're better than anyone else we've ever found." The Ringmaster shot the boss a dark look, which she either didn't see or chose to ignore. The boss swallowed a bite of her brownie, then continued. "We'd heard about you many times before."

"The guy who was killing people in Almonte." Harvey chuckled.

"Mick Henderson. Claire Thompson." She chuckled. "Rick Keller was really messed up."

Harvey chuckled, too. "I had a lot of fun with him."

The boss sighed. "But we didn't know where or who you were. We needed more information. But nobody had anything. We were about to lose hope."

"Then I got arrested."

"Exactly! A couple of days ago, it was in the paper. Cooper Branson got arrested for the Almonte murders. We made plans to go get you that weekend. Then the best news of all came."

"The Ringmaster picked me up." All the pieces came together for Harvey. "So you need me to fight with you."

"After the fight, you can go to L.A. if you want. But we need help. And you are good. You're really good. We need you."

Harvey started laughing. "Well, why didn't you just say that in the first place? I'll help you with the fight! Of course I will."

"Well, that was easy." The boss opened her desk drawer, took something out, and handed it to Harvey. Harvey gave it back.

"I already have a cell phone," he said. "I just left it at home."

"This is no ordinary cell phone," the boss said, smiling at him. "This is a Darkstar Corp cell phone, which means that only villains from this company can call you on it. And there's no phone bill, either. It's powered by a special kind of darkness."

"An iphone," read Harvey. "How does it work?"

"It's a touch screen. The Ringmaster will help you out."

"Awesome, thanks."

"That phone actually hasn't been made yet."

"Where'd you get it?"

"Oh, I have my sources. There's still one more thing. I want to show you. Come this way, both of you."

"I already know what it is," teased the Ringmaster.

Harvey stuck his tongue out at her. She stifled a laugh.

The boss led the two of them down a very long hallway and around the corner. The Ringmaster was humming the whole time, songs that Harvey didn't know.

"What are you singing?" asked Harvey.

"Boyz 2 Men," replied the Ringmaster.

"Imagine my shock," muttered Harvey in a sarcastic tone.

The Ringmaster just smiled and went back to humming. Harvey listened. He kept pace with the Ringmaster, so they were walking beside each other.

The boss unlocked a door and led them into a room. Lots of computers were beeping and buzzing.

"What the hell is this?" asked Harvey.

"This is our monitor system," said the boss. "We can check on anyone, anyplace, at anytime."

"That's pretty cool. What's the mic for?"

"This is so we can keep in communication around the castle. We can talk to anyone in any room. Also, you can talk to anyone anywhere and hear them and watch them and make them hear you if you want. So, the castle is pretty much an open place. You don't really have to ask. If you want to do something, just do it."

"Most of the stuff in this castle is powered by darkness," added the Ringmaster.

"Yeah, well, you know what they say. If you've got it, flaunt it." All three of them laughed.

Harvey chuckled darkly. "Perfect," he said, as he thought of all the fun he would be able to have with Emily Rose that night. The monitors, the microphone. Seeing the fear in her eyes would be like his own personal heaven. He chuckled again.

"All right," said Black Dawn. "I guess we should probably wrap up here." She looked at Harvey. "Unless you had anything you wanted to talk about. Like deadlines or anything."

Harvey smiled at her. "You've been reading my mind," he accused teasingly.

"Maybe," said the boss.

Harvey chuckled lightheartedly. "We'll talk later."

"Okay, I'm gonna go kill Patricia Thompson now," said the Ringmaster.

"But you'll miss band practice," said Harvey.

"No I won't." she started to walk away. "I won't be long."

Harvey gave the boss a confused look.

"What?" she asked.

Harvey sighed then shook his head. "Nothing."

"You are so mysterious," said Black Dawn.

Harvey just smiled at her.

^^^

When Harvey went out to the living room, he noticed there was a sliding door that was open that hadn't been open before. It opened like a garage door, and inside there was a medium-wide stage and some chairs.

Dark Mortimer, the Silver Masquerade, Twister, and Lois Thomas were all getting set up.

Dark Mortimer hopped off the stage, not even using the three steps provided to get down. He waved at Harvey. Harvey pointed to himself and mouthed, "Me?"

  
 _No, Santa Claus!_ Said Mortimer in his head.

Harvey chuckled and went over to the stage.

"Hey, Harvey," said Mortimer.

"Hey," said Harvey.

"We might sound a little off today, because the Dark Lord isn't here. He's our pianist."

"Ah," said Harvey.

He then looked around, taking in his surroundings. He noticed three things at once.

First of all, there was a sign on one of the chairs in the front row that said "Reserved for Harvey Wickston."

Second, he noticed a hint of fear in Lois Thomas's eyes, who ducked behind the Silver Masquerade as if he was looking for a bodyguard. It excited him that even though Lois Thomas and Harvey both knew that Harvey wasn't going to kill Lois-or at least, couldn't-that he could still scare Lois.

Third, he noticed Twister was glaring at him with as much projection as she could project. He thought that was hilarious. He smiled back at her. She rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

Then she got down from the stage and started towards him.

  
 _Oh, now she wants to fight me,_  thought Harvey.  _Well, bring it on! I just hope she knows what she's doing. I am_ not  _going to take it easy on her just because she's a member of Darkstar corp._

  
 _Watch yourself, Harvey,_ the boss said sharply in his head.

Twister walked up to Harvey and said, "Where's the Ringmaster?" in a hostile tone.

This caught Harvey a little off guard.

"She-she just went to kill Patricia Thompson," he stuttered, tripping over his words.

"Oh." Twister went back up to the stage.

"Harvey, sit down," insisted Dark Mortimer. "Come on."

"We gotta do a sound check!" called the Silver Masquerade. "Mortimer, come on!"

"Fine." Mortimer hopped back onto the stage.

Then the Ringmaster hurried by. "Hi, Harvey!" she called as she ran. She had a guitar around her neck and was holding the neck of the guitar with one hand. She ran by and hurtled onto the stage.

"Hi, guys," said the Ringmaster into her microphone. "It's so great that you all came out tonight!" She paused.

Harvey clapped and cheered and whistled until the Ringmaster said, "No, no, please. Hold your applause."

Twister rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Hey, I see we have some new audience members," said the Ringmaster. "You. Yeah, you, in the front. Hi, Harvey."

Harvey smiled and waved at her. "Good to be here."

"Okay, this song is dedicated to Harvey Wickston, the new recruit. I hope you have a great time here."

The villains all started playing their instruments, and the Ringmaster started singing One Step at a Time.

When the song was over, Harvey stood up and clapped.

"Thank you!" called the Ringmaster. "I'll be here all week. I'm not signing any autographs!"

Harvey chuckled. Twister smiled at the Ringmaster.

The Ringmaster handed her guitar to Dark Mortimer, and Twister just put hers down on the stage. The boys started cleaning up, while the Ringmaster went over to Harvey.

"So, what did you think?" she asked.

"You guys are...amazing."

"We'll be better when our pianist gets back."

"The Dark Lord. Right. Dark Mortimer said that. You guys sounded righteous."

The Ringmaster laughed. "Thanks."

"You play lead guitar  _and_ sing?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Wow, that's really cool. And you're left-handed."

The Ringmaster smiled. "Yeah. Yes, I am."

Harvey stared at her.

"What?"

"That's very cool."

The Ringmaster blushed. "Thanks."

"So what's up with your friend?"

"What do you mean?"

"Twister. I don't get it. Why does she hate me so much?"

"It's not just you," admitted the Ringmaster.

"Don't lie to me. It is so. She acts fine around everyone else."

"It's nothing personal against you." The Ringmaster sighed. "She's like this with all new recruits."

"Why? Does she think everyone who comes in is a traitor or something?"

The Ringmaster snorted. "No, nothing like that. Not that I know of, anyway. I don't really know. I think it might have something to do with her experience."

"What does that mean?"

"Her first 2 or 3 years at Darkstar Corp were really hard for her.  _Really_ hard. Much harder than usual. She's been through a lot. It takes time for her to adjust. It was really bad. Then I took her under my wing. I helped her out. The boys came along, and they helped, too. We fixed her. Sort of. Look, just try and ease up on her. Please? Just a little bit."

"Fine, okay."

"It'll probably take a couple of months for her to adjust to having you around. Just give her some time. Maybe you can even try and help her. She'll ease up over time. Oh, and do me another favor. Please don't tell her I told you all this. She'll be mad."

Harvey smiled. "Okay."

"Perfect, thanks."

Then Twister called, "Hey, Ringmaster! I have some mail for you."

The Ringmaster hurried over. "I think I know who this is from."

"I didn't open it this time, just like I promised," said Twister.

The Ringmaster gulped. She had butterflies in her stomach. She peeked at the envelope.

"House of Villains!" she cried. "Yes, I knew it!"

"House of Villains?" asked Harvey. "I've wanted to get into that place ever since my dad told me about it when I was little. That place is so  _amazing!"_

"And so exclusive," added the Ringmaster, clutching the letter to her chest. Harvey could tell she was really passionate about this.

She took a deep breath. "This is it. I've been trying to get in for almost 3 years now, but this is the one I've been waiting for. I'm getting in this time!"

Then she sighed and called out to the boys. "Hey, guys, come here a second!"

The boys joined the circle. "What is it?"

"It's from the House of Villains," Twister told them. "Go ahead. Open it."

The Ringmaster gulped. She turned the envelope over, and put one hand on the peel strip. You could practically hear the villains holding their breath.

She sighed. "I can't do it. You do it Mortimer."

"No, thanks," said Mortimer, shaking his head.

"I'll do it," said Twister. She took a deep breath. Her hands were shaking as she opened the letter. She read it quickly once. When she finished it, she looked back at the Ringmaster. Her eyes looked apologetic.

"What?" asked the Ringmaster quietly. "What did they say?" From the tone of her voice, it was pretty clear that she already knew the answer. There was a long moment of silence as she read Twister's mind.

"Oh," whispered the Ringmaster finally. "I see." She looked crestfallen.

"I'm so sorry, girl," said Twister quietly, and reached out to hug her friend.

The Ringmaster shook her head. "I gotta go." Tears were running down her face. She started crying as she ran to her room.

Twister stared after her. Nobody said anything.

Then the phone rang, making them all jump.

"I'll get it," said Twister, and her voice cracked. "It must be the Dark Lord."

She took a deep breath and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"I'm gonna go check on the Ringmaster," said Harvey. To the boys.

"Okay," said Mortimer.

"Don't pretend to know what she's going through," the Silver Masquerade advised. "She hates that."

"Thanks," said Harvey.

"Good luck."

^^^

Harvey didn't need directions. He followed the Ringmaster's mind signal to her room.

When he knocked on the door, the Ringmaster said, "Go away!"

Harvey tried to go in anyway. The door wouldn't open.

"Ringmaster, please let me in," begged Harvey. "I'm worried about you. Please? I just wanna talk."

"Fine, come in," said the Ringmaster.

Harvey went in and stood on the opposite side of the room, facing the Ringmaster.

"What do  _you_ want?" asked the Ringmaster.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No," the Ringmaster replied softly. "Please stay." She sniffed. "I didn't get in."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm not going to pretend to understand why you want this so much, or pretend to know what you're going through right now, but I do know that I don't want to see you be sad."

"It really sucks."

"I know. It sucks. You didn't get in."

The Ringmaster smiled through her tears. "No, I mean it sucks that the Silver Masquerade told you to say all that."

Harvey grinned sheepishly. "Oh, yeah. How did you know?"

"I didn't." The Ringmaster giggled. "You just told me."

"Oh, man!" Harvey slapped himself in the forehead. "At least I made you laugh."

"Come sit beside me."

Harvey sat down, and the Ringmaster took off her hat and hit Harvey over the shoulder with it.

"Hey!" cried Harvey, smiling. "What was that for?"

"A dumb move on your part."

"Ah, I see. Hey, you know what I like to do when I'm mad?" He pulled out a gun. "This was my birthday present. I haven't used one of these in four years. Not on my victims, anyway. But when I get mad, I like to shoot things."

"Like what?"

"Let's get some plates."

^^^

Harvey kept throwing plates up in the air, and the Ringmaster was shooting them. The Ringmaster was yelling and cheering and Harvey was cheering her on.

"Alright!" he cried. "Yes! There you go! This one's for a hundred points!"

There were loud noises as the plates were shot and smashed into a million pieces.

"We're out of plates!" called Harvey.

The Ringmaster went over to him. "Wow, you were right. That was awesome! Here's your gun back."

"Are we done? You don't want to shoot anything else?"

"No. Let's just go inside and have some root beer."

They went inside and sat down at the table across from each other. The Ringmaster popped open two root beers.

Harvey sipped his. "So, you killed Patricia Thompson?"

"Yeah."

"How is it?"

"Pretty good. You know, nothing special."

"And it only took you three minutes."

"No. It took me about thirty seconds. I had to wash my hands and get my guitar."

"How'd you do it?"

"Huh?"

"How'd you kill her?"

"A bullet to the brain." The Ringmaster shrugged.

Harvey sipped his root beer again. "Can I have that newspaper? The one with me in it?"

The Ringmaster handed him the newspaper. Harvey looked through it.

"What the hell?" he finally said. "I can't believe this. They put all my mug shots in here, but not even one picture of my victims." He shook his head in disbelief.

Then he looked back at the Ringmaster. "I told you I hadn't used that gun in four years."

"So what? You use a knife?"

Harvey looked into her eyes. "I think we should have a meeting."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the looong chapter. i know you guys are used to like, three pages or less. You should get kinda used to these longer chaapters, though. I'll probably start putting in 3 or more pages. Don't forget to check out my other books, too.**

**Thanks to everybody who has already read, fanned, commented, voted, or whatever. Also, I've been mulling over the idea of a student/teacher romance in my head. What do you guys think?**

**< 3 you all!**


	16. Chapter 16-The Meeting

All the villains were gathered in the living room. Most of them were talking to one another. They were so confused. Harvey sat down on the couch.

"Okay, everyone," he said. "Quiet, please!"

"Harvey?" asked Black Dawn, confused. " _You_ called this meeting?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why?"

"You'll see."

" _This_ should be good," muttered Twister.

"Okay," said Harvey, when everybody was finally quiet. "I called this meeting because me and the Ringmaster were talking just a few minutes ago."

"So you called a meeting because you were  _talking?"_  Twister sounded frustrated and confused at the same time.

"Not exactly. It was more what we were talking about," explained Harvey. "She told me she killed Patricia Thompson with a gun."

"Exactly. That's what villains do." Twister rolled her eyes. "They kill people. Didn't you do that, too? You got arrested for murder."

"I do kill people. But I haven't used a gun on my victims in four years. In fact, I hardly used it before then."

"Why?" demanded Twister.

"How'd you kill them?" asked Dark Mortimer.

Harvey smiled darkly and chuckled. "Lois Thomas already knows this story."

Lois moved closer to Dark Mortimer.  _Help,_ Harvey heard in Lois's mind.

"When I was about eight years old, some kid made me mad," said Harvey. "So I killed him. I punched his nose right up into his brain. I told the principal it was an accident, but it wasn't really.

"My dad, on the other hand, was thrilled. This was the day he had been waiting for, the day he had been training me for. My first kill. He came to pick me up, and told the principal I was going to be grounded for a very long time. Instead, he took me out and bought me an Xbox. And this."

Harvey twirled his hat on his finger.

"What's the fedora all about?" asked the Ringmaster.

Harvey tossed her the hat and she caught it.

"For years, there has been a tradition of fathers giving their sons fedoras after they made their first kill."

"What about the Xbox?"

"So they can play Time Crisis, of course."

Everyone laughed. Twister snorted. The Ringmaster tossed Harvey his hat back and he put it back on.

"Then he took me out for ice cream," continued Harvey. "When we went back home, he said I had done great, but there was one thing missing. Then he said it was time he taught me a very important lesson."

"And what lesson was that?" asked the boss.

"Make them suffer." Harvey chuckled. "It's not enough to just kill them. You have to make them cry. Make them scream. Make them  _suffer."_  The darkness flashed in his eyes. "Ringmaster, you said your kill was nothing special. Killing your victims quickly, that gets old.

"When we were talking about the killing, I was confused, and so were you. Now I know why. Two different methods."

He smiled.

"My father taught me all about torture about that." He shook his head. "That's why I told you to pick up my car. There's a black bag in my backseat. I have a bunch of tools in there. A bunch of torture stuff."

"So what are you saying?" asked Dark Mortimer.

"I'm saying I'm offering to teach you guys how to do it right." He looked around at them. "What do you think?"

Everyone looked at each other eagerly, and then back at Harvey. He was staring at the Ringmaster. Twister was staring at the floor.

"Yeah," agreed everyone.

  
 _No,_ thought Lois, who was staring at the wall.

  
 _Yeah,_ thought the Ringmaster, who was staring at Harvey. Her thoughts and face were full of awe, and here eyes sparkled.

Harvey nodded and smiled at the Ringmaster. His arms were crossed against his chest.

"Okay," said Harvey. "Everybody go into the monitor room and wait for me. I'll be there in a minute. I just gotta talk to the boss."

Everyone got up and left, talking amongst each other. The Ringmaster hurried to catch up with Twister.

Harvey looked at the boss. She was smiling wryly at him.

"This little meeting we just had," she said. "It wouldn't happen to have anything with that room you asked for the other day, would it?"

"Yes, it would." He chuckled. "When my dad taught me about torture, I had this abandoned warehouse that I took my victims to. It was far away from the small town of Almonte, from the city lights of Ottawa. A place where nobody could hear them scream. My dad told me about it, showed it to me."

"What happened to it?"

"I wouldn't know. I abandoned it when I was about 25 years old. But I continued to take my victims to abandoned buildings. I didn't have much to restrain them with, though. My dad taught me how to tie them to a chair, so that's what I ended up doing."

"Now you don't need to do that anymore."

"Exactly. The thing is, I know about torture. I can teach you guys. Then you'll all get a chance to try it yourselves. It'll catch on. Some of you are going to be harder to convince than others, though."

"Who do you think will be the hardest to convince?"

"Twister, probably."

"I was thinking Lois Thomas, since you were going to kill him before."

"Yeah, I'm kinda confused about him."

"How come?"

"I'm just thinking, I was trying to kill him. Why would he join a company where killing people was his job?"

"You're right, that is weird."

"Anyway, there was something else my dad taught me. You can't rush into your kill. You have to ease into it. So the deadlines-"

"Yeah, here's the deal with that. I see what you're saying and all, but I can't really bend the rules for you. So you can do the torture or whatever on the victims once they're caught, as long as you kill them. But you have to get them on my time. When you're working, you follow my rules."

"Done."

"When you're doing your own kills, like Emily Rose, you can take as long as you want, because that's your thing."

"Got it."

"Plus, they're listening to us, in the other room."

Harvey rolled his eyes.

"But, Harvey, it seems to me that you're pretty much a lone wolf. I mean, it's pretty obvious that you aren't sure how you feel about this place. So, you can do your own kills, too. And, as soon as the battle is over, you can go home if you want."

"She won't die if I leave?"

"No, she won't. If you want to leave after the fight, you can. Throw away your cell phone, forget about us, and get rid of all your connections to Darkstar Corp. if you want. I don't care. But we need you in that fight."

Harvey sighed and nodded.  _I'll be there,_ he promised.

"We should go," he said quietly. "They're waiting for us."

They went up to the monitor room, where the Ringmaster and her friends were waiting for them.

Black Dawn read Harvey's mind signal. They nodded at each other, then slapped their hands into each other's.

Black Dawn started fiddling with the knobs and dials on the monitor system, getting everything set up exactly the way Harvey wanted it, so that it was facing the room with the metal table.

Harvey went into the kitchen and came back with a large bowl of M&Ms, which he handed over to the Ringmaster.

"Okay, everybody take a seat, please," he said, exchanging a meaningful glance with the Ringmaster. "Class is now in session."

"What's going on?" asked Lois Thomas.

"Didn't I make it clear? I'm gonna teach you guys about torture. Where's my truck?"

"Out front," said Dark Mortimer.

Harvey disappeared in a surge of darkness, then reappeared about ten seconds later. He had a black bag slung over his shoulder.

"How did you get back here so fast?" asked Mortimer.

"I have my methods. That's something I'm gonna teach you guys later on." He chuckled.

Then he disappeared again, and reappeared in his room a few seconds later with a chair. He put the chair facing away from the metal table. Then he dropped his bag on the floor and disappeared again.

Everyone started looking around for him.

"Where'd he go?" wondered the Silver Masquerade.

"Who cares?" said Twister. "Point is, he's gone."

Black Dawn stifled a laugh. Then Harvey showed up behind Lois Thomas, and, very quietly, put his hand on Lois's shoulder.

Lois jumped two feet in the air. Then he screamed and ducked down, putting his hands over his head.

"Please don't hurt me," he squeaked.

All the villains were laughing. Even Twister smiled and snorted.

Lois got back up and crossed his arms across his chest. He was crying. "That wasn't funny!" he sulked.

"Oh my gosh!" laughed the boss. "It so was!"

Harvey disappeared again, and reappeared in his room.

"This is a test," he said. "Check, check. Can you hear me?"

"We read you loud and clear," said Black Dawn. She still had a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Okay, then. I'm gonna go pick up Brandon, then."

He disappeared, then a few minutes later, he came back into his room, dragging Brandon behind him, this time using the door.

He locked Brandon onto the table. Brandon was already crying and begging Harvey to let him go.

Harvey sat in the chair across from Brandon so that they were facing each other. He slung his arms over the chair in a kind of laissez-faire fashion. He was smiling. Not a dark smile, but a friendly smile, the same smile he'd put on when he was trying to convince Jack that he wouldn't hurt him, almost as if he was trying to convince Brandon of the same thing.

Sure, his smile was friendly, but in his mind, he was chuckling while Brandon screamed. In his mind, the darkness was closing in around Brandon, since he already knew that Brandon was going to die.

Then Harvey cleared his mind and watched Brandon. He knew the drill by heart. This was the part where his victims started trying to escape.

Brandon would pull and struggle against his restraints, but to no avail. If Harvey's victims could not break through the ropes, they definitely would not be able to break free from the steel table.

Just as Harvey had known, Brandon screamed and cried and tried to escape his restraints, but accomplished nothing, except making his wrists and ankles cut and bloodied.

Harvey watched in silence, and waited until Brandon stopped squirming. Brandon continued crying, but stopped screaming. He realized that nobody could hear him except his tormentor, and Harvey's friends, who Brandon did not know about.

Harvey waited. He was very patient.

The same could not be said for the Ringmaster.

  
 _Hurry up,_ she urged him.  _Say something._

  
 _I'm waiting for him to start the conversation,_ Harvey told her.  _He'll ask something soon. He'll want to know. Listen._

The Ringmaster went quiet again. Everyone waited for Brandon to ask something.

  
 _He's so scared he doesn't have his voice,_ Harvey informed the Ringmaster.  _Just give him a minute to recover it. And when I send you a mind message, you've got to make sure to tell the others, please._

_No problem._

_I'm counting on you, since it's obvious not everybody can read minds._

  
_You can count on me!_ The Ringmaster promised excitedly.

Harvey continued listening. He'd barely moved an inch since he first sat down. He stayed very still.

Finally Brandon found his voice again and choked out, "Who are you?"

"Harvey Wickston," said Harvey.

"What do you want from me?" Brandon's voice was little more than a whisper.

Harvey sniffed. His smile turned dark. "That much I think you can figure out for yourself."

Brandon took 3 deep breaths, then cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was slightly stronger. "Are you working for Darkstar Corp.?"

"Yes, I am."

"How come I didn't hear of you before?"

"I only started here a few days ago."

"Where's the Ringmaster? I know you were with her."

Harvey hesitated.

  
 _Go ahead, tell him the truth,_ insisted the Ringmaster in an excited voice.

  
 _Yeah,_ added Dark Mortimer.  _Tell him about us!_

  
 _I want him to know that we're watching and listening,_ pressed Black Dawn.

"She's in the other room," said Harvey. "She's watching us right now and listening, along with the other villains from Darkstar Corp."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"No!" snapped Harvey.

The Ringmaster was startled. She shook her head to clear it.

"Why would you think that?" asked Harvey sharply.

"Just...the way she looks at you..." muttered Brandon.

Then his breathing sped up again, and he started crying.

"What are you going to do to me?" he asked. His voice was strained. "Are you going to kill me?"

"More or less."

  
 _Do something!_ begged the Ringmaster.  _This is boring!_

_I'll do it soon. Just wait._

The Ringmaster fell silent again. Good. Harvey's concentration needed to be here. With Brandon. Then, when the time was right, he would kill the man.

The darkness flashed in his eyes as this ran through his head.

"Should I be scared?" squeaked Brandon.

"More or less," Harvey said, chuckling. It was not a dark chuckle, but as if something had tickled his funny bone.

Outside, Lois Thomas was staring at the floor.

Twister leaned down beside him.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Yes," he said, although his voice sounded close to Brandon's. He felt nauseous. He thought he might pass out.

"Are you sure? You don't wanna split?"

"Not yet."

A scream jolted them both. At first, Lois thought the torture had started, but then he remembered back to when he was the victim. Remembering that there was a routine that Harvey followed, he looked up out of pure curiosity.

Brandon was screaming and crying and trying to escape again. Harvey was just sitting in his chair, watching Brandon with nothing but pure amusement on his face and in his eyes.

"NO!" yelled Brandon. "LET ME GO!" His voice lowered to a whisper as he stopped struggling. "Please," he begged Harvey. "Just let me go!"

Harvey sighed and held up his hands, as if in defeat. He started walking over towards Brandon.

  
 _Now it starts,_ thought Lois Thomas. Maybe he had been stupid enough to become one of Harvey's victims, but he was certainly not stupid enough to believe that Harvey would let Brandon go. He had been there. He knew. He had been talking about this kill with about as much enthusiasm as a little kid who's just been told he's going to Disneyworld. Now the torture would start.

Harvey pulled a gun from his belt.

  
 _Stop!_ cried the Ringmaster suddenly.  _What are you doing?_

_Relax, I'm not actually going to KILL him! I'm gonna have some fun with him. Watch and learn. It'll be righteous._

"No!" cried Brandon. "Please! Please don't. Don't kill me."

"Shh," Harvey soothed him. "I know you're scared, but it'll be okay."

Brandon couldn't stop crying. Scared.  _That_ was an understatement.

Harvey's heart was racing with anticipation, as Brandon's heart was racing with fear.

"Shh," said Harvey. "Relax."

Brandon took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He was crying so hard. His heart was going a mile a minute. He couldn't stop shaking. Brandon gulped and then whimpered.

"That's it," continued Harvey. "Be brave. Just relax. Close your eyes."

Brandon closed his eyes. So did Lois Thomas. Neither of them wanted to see what was coming. Brandon thought he was going to be shot. Lois knew he wasn't.

  
 _This is when it starts,_ thought Lois. His thoughts were shaking.  _Next comes the countdown. 3...2...1...SCREAM._

"That's it," said Harvey softly. "That's a good boy."

"Why are you doing this to me?" whimpered Brandon.

"Shh, don't cry. It's okay. Just relax. Now, I want you to count backwards from 3."

Brandon whimpered, then moaned in fear.

"If you don't, I will," warned Harvey, in the same soft, sweet voice that terrified Brandon.

Brandon had lost his voice again. Harvey waited for him to recover it. He pressed the gun to the side of Brandon's head. As Brandon felt cold steel, nothing but pure fear shot through him, paralyzing him. In return, a wave of excitement shot through Harvey.

Finally Brandon managed to choke out, "3...2...1."

BLAM!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yes, i have a chapter called Meeting and now I have a chapter called The Meeting. I hope this chapter helped teach you guys a little more about Harvey and Twister and Lois, because my main goal was to teach you guys a bit more about Lois's situation with Harvey.**

**Yes, there will be some torture in the next chapter. It's not very detailed compared to the other ones I've done, but there's still a little bit in there.**

**The next chapter will hopefully teach you guys a bit more about the relationship between Darkstar Corp. and the SHA (Super Hero Academy), and the characters.**

**So, do you guys think i should do a student teacher romance. I've been thinking about it, for sure.**


	17. Chapter 17-Legends

Enjoy!! xoxoxoxo

That was what Brandon expected. Instead, there was a click that made him scream. And scream. Finally he stopped screaming. Then there was silence.

Brandon could not breathe. He wasn't crying anymore. He could hardly think. He scrambled to recover his memory.

What was the last thing he remembered? He'd been at his car. There was a man there...Harvey Wickston! Darkstar Corporations.

  
 _I'm dead,_ he thought.  _Oh, god, he killed me, I'm dead!_

But he hadn't heard a shot. He'd been in the castle, trying to escape...and he felt cold steel against the right side of his head.

  
 _NO, dammit! I_ am  _dead! The bastard shot me! No! Oh, god, no! Please don't let it be true._

A fresh flow of tears started.

If he was dead, someone might be able to hear him.

"HELP ME!" he screamed. There was an intense silence.

"PLEASE, SOMEBODY! HELP! Say something, at least!"

Nothing. The only sounds were his own sobs and his pounding heart. He was terrified.

"Shit," he whimpered.

At this point, Brandon didn't know if it would be more terrifying to be dead or alive.

Brandon did not want to die. But he would. In the end, he would beg Harvey to kill him. And Harvey would oblige. Eventually.

Brandon thought that if he was still alive, there was a chance the man might let him go. Maybe Harvey just wanted to scare him. And he did. But that was only part of the fun. The other part was killing him.

Harvey waited. Soon, Brandon would open his eyes and find out that he wasn't dead, and then the fun really would start.

Just thinking about it gave Harvey a thrill of excitement. He smiled darkly, and continued waiting silently.

  
 _No, no, no, no, no, no, no,_ thought Brandon. Each "no" was accompanied by a heartbeat. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. His heart would not slow. Neither would his breathing. He kept on crying. Then he started struggling again. He kicked as much as he could, and heard metal banging under his feet. He squirmed, and felt something sharp cutting into his wrists. He could hardly move.

He was still chained down. Did that mean he was still alive? No, he must be dead. There was no way this man would have let him live.

Brandon took a deep breath, then opened his eyes. He expected to see a tunnel with a light at the end of it, remembering back to all the stories he had heard about what happens after you die.

There was nothing like that. Instead, he was still in the same room. Harvey was still looking down at him, except his gaze looked faraway and somewhere else, as if he was focusing on something other than Brandon.

He was. He and Dark Mortimer were mind-messaging each other, talking about hockey while Harvey waited for Brandon to wake up. Then he broke off, and smiled down at Brandon.

"Are you going to let me go?" Brandon asked hopefully.

"No," said Harvey, cutting off Brandon's hope abruptly. "I'm going to kill you."

"You didn't shoot me." Brandon looked puzzled. Harvey decided to cut his confusion short.

"I never said I was going to make it fast."

Harvey waited while his words sank in. He knew how it worked. Brandon would completely freak out.

He did. Brandon screamed and cried and fought, still trying to escape his restraints. His heart sped up more, if that was even possible. He started hyperventilating.

Harvey listened to him screaming. The torture hadn't even started yet, and already he was screaming enough for two of Harvey's victims.

Well, he was a good one. Harvey had expected Brandon to be much stronger. In fact, Harvey was a little disappointed. He had hoped for a bit more of a challenge. Brandon had been almost too easy.

Eventually, Brandon calmed down a bit and stopped screaming.

"Are you going to stop fighting me now?" Harvey asked Brandon, in that same soft voice that scared him. "Because you're only going to make it worse, and I'm not going to wait forever."

"No, no, no! Let me go."

"Please don't fight it. Just accept it. Now just calm down a bit and relax so we can get this over with."

Brandon took some deep breaths, swallowed, and closed his eyes.

"Shh, that's it," said Harvey. "That's a good boy."

The M&Ms were almost gone, and the torture hadn't even started.

Lois Thomas was feeling faint. He took a deep breath.

Harvey dug around in his bag. He found a hammer and some nails. Everybody wondered what he was planning to do. Some were curious, others would rather not know. Lois Thomas leaned beside Twister and hissed in her ear, "Come on. Let's go. You don't want to see this. Trust me."

Twister took Lois's hand, and the empty bowl, which she promptly took to the kitchen to refill.

Harvey placed the nail over Brandon's foot. Then he took the hammer. Brandon was crying. He tried to prepare himself for whatever was coming. He knew it would be painful.

"Okay," said Harvey. "Now I want you to count down from 3."

"3...2...1."

Harvey banged the hammer. Brandon's scream jolted the villains.

The Ringmaster's heartbeat accelerated a bit out of a mix of fear and excitement. She hurried into the kitchen to find Twister.

"Twister!" she said excitedly.

"Here," said Twister, shoving the bowl at the Ringmaster without looking at her friend. "I filled this up for you."

The Ringmaster popped an M&M into her mouth. "What's with you?"

"Nothing," mumbled Twister.

"Why'd you leave? You have to see this!"

"No, thanks, you enjoy."

"You sure?"

"One hundred percent."

"Okay, then. But you don't know what you're missing."

"Let's keep it that way. I don't want to know."

The Ringmaster hurried back to the monitor room.

Harvey tortured Brandon for a couple of hours, using different techniques: burning, cutting, beating. Then, when he'd had his fun, he killed Brandon.

"Okay," he told his friends. "I'm gonna go wash up."

He took his tools to the bathroom and washed them, along with his hands. Then he jumped into the shower.

The villains just stayed in the monitor room for a few moments, staring at the screen.

The Ringmaster finally said, "Okay, I'm gonna go make dinner."

"Don't bother," said Black Dawn. "It's a lazy night. We're ordering in pizza."

The Ringmaster shrugged and stood up. "I'm going to the game room, then."

"I challenge you to a game of pool!" said Dark Mortimer.

"Okay, then. Get ready to get your butt kicked, though!"

They hurried off.

"Let's get out of here," suggested the Silver Masquerade.

"Not quite yet," said Black Dawn. "Go ahead. I'll meet you somewhere."

The Silver Masquerade shrugged and left. Black Dawn just stayed and cleaned up Harvey's room for him.

^^^

After Harvey was done in the shower, he picked up the phone and called for pizza. The voice that answered the phone surprised him.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Cooper?"

  
 _Cooper._ Harvey was taken aback.

"Frank?" asked Harvey.

"Wow, Cooper, where are you? Nobody's seen you for a bit."

"I'm kinda busy. I'll be home soon. Hey, I thought you were getting a new job."

" _This_ is my new job."

"So what happened? I thought you thought I killed those people."

"Lauren says you didn't. Sorry, Cooper. You missed your flight to L.A., though."

"Yeah, I guess I did."

"Lauren's worried about you. We all are."

"Well, tell Lauren I'm fine. I'm just taking care of some unfinished business, but I'll be back in a few days. And tell her to stop drinking all my root beer."

Frank chuckled. "It's a bit late for that."

"Oh." Harvey got the message. It was already gone.

"So, where do you want this pizza delivered? Because I'm sure you didn't call because you knew I worked here."

"No, I didn't know."

Harvey placed the order. Then he said, "I just called about the pizza. But you surprised me when you picked up the phone. It was really nice to hear from you again."

"Definitely," agreed Frank.

"I'll be home soon," promised Harvey.

"I'll make sure I tell Lauren about this. She'll be happy to hear that you're safe. She loves you, Cooper. I'll let Tom know, too."

"Okay. Tell her I love her, too, and I miss her."

"I will."

  
 _C'mon, it's darts time!_ squealed the Ringmaster in Harvey's head.

  
 _Be right there,_ answered Harvey.

"Cooper," said Frank quietly. His voice sounded strange.

"Yeah?"

"We...we shouldn't have gotten you that gun."

"Why not?"

"We didn't give it to you for protection. We gave it to you because we thought you were the killer."

"It's okay, Frank."

"Okay, Cooper. I have to go now, but will I hear from you again?"

"Of course," said Harvey. "Like I said, I'll be home soon."

"Goodbye, Cooper," said Frank.

Then the line went dead.

^^^

When Harvey walked out into the living room, everyone looked at him.

"Did you order pizza?" asked Black Dawn, with an amused expression on her face.

"Yup," said Harvey, chuckling. "It'll be here in thirty minutes or it's free." He sat down on one of the couches in the room. "Funny thing, though, I called the pizza place and my friend answered."

"We know, Harvey, I was keeping tabs on the whole thing and filling in the others," laughed Black Dawn.

"Eavesdropper," muttered Harvey, but he was smiling.

Then they all played darts, laughing and cheering and having a good time.

Harvey won.

Then the pizza showed up, five minutes late. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. The villains opened the drawbridge and everything. The pizza guy was already scared because he knew it was the villains' castle. Then Harvey showed up at the door with a gun pointed in his face.

"Drop the pizzas and run!" he demanded.

The man did not need telling twice. He bolted.

"Thank you, come again," the Ringmaster called after him, in an Apu accent.

"Nice to see you!" Harvey joined in. "You're always welcome at the villains' castle!"

The villains laughed and smiled and high-fived each other. Then they went into the living room to have some pizza.

^^^

Everyone sat down in the living room with the pizzas in front of them. They sat in a circle.

The boss and the Ringmaster sat on either side of Harvey. Dark Mortimer sat beside the Ringmaster. The Silver Masquerade sat beside Black Dawn.

Twister and Lois Thomas sat beside each other.

"Let's play truth or dare!" said Twister immediately.

"Nope, nope, nope," chanted the Ringmaster.

"Not tonight," said Black Dawn. "It's story time!"

"Yeah!" added Dark Mortimer excitedly. "We have a new recruit."

"That means we have to tell old legends."

"But he might already know," said Silver. "His dad did know a lot about that old times stuff."

"How much do you know about the House of Villains, that kind of stuff?" the Ringmaster asked.

"Some," said Harvey. "My time was dedicated to training, schoolwork, stuff like that. My dad made sure to tell me those kinds of stories, though. But some of it I wasn't told, and some of it I don't remember. I was pretty young."

"Okay, well, you're the new recruit," explained the Ringmaster. "Whenever someone new comes to Darkstar Corporations, we tell stories, share things, all that kinda stuff."

"Cool!"

"So, you start. Go ahead. Ask us anything you want, and we'll try to answer it as best we can."

"Anything I want to know?"

"Anything."

"Well..." He thought about that for a moment. What  _did_ Harvey want to know?  _Everything._

_The House of Villains? Darkstar Corp? Where should I start?_

"Anywhere you want," said the Ringmaster.

"Maybe just start with the basics," said Black Dawn. When Harvey glanced at her, she added, "We have all the time in the world."

Harvey glanced around at all the villains.

"Well," he began. "How did the House of Villains come to be?"

Most of the villains burst into laughter. Twister sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh,  _god,"_  she muttered.

The Ringmaster smiled at Harvey, looking very amused.

"We don't know that," she said. "The House of Villains was built long, long ago."

"Before any of us," added Black Dawn.

"Oh." Harvey chuckled. No matter. He had a million other questions. He moved on to the next one.

"How did Black Dawn become the boss?"

"Oh, I kicked someone else off the chair," said Black Dawn casually.

"Who?"

"Sam Tucket."

Harvey remembered his father mentioning something about Sam Tucket.

"How about the SHA?" asked Harvey curiously. "How did that happen?"

"Cameron Ford's parents built it when he was 15 years old," said the boss. "After him and his parents got in a fight, he ran away from home. He stopped a bank robbery that night. A lot of people liked him for it.

"He loved superheroes, so he looked for other things he could do. He wanted to be a hero. He started with small things, like getting cats out of trees.

"Then, one night, his parents saw him on T.V. They went out to get him back. They wanted him to come home. He refused. So, instead of pushing it, his parents decided to help him. They built the SHA for him as a birthday present.

One night, his dad got in some trouble with Darkstar Corp. Cameron tried to save him, but failed.

After his father's death, Cameron shut down the SHA. Forever, he thought. But then, years later, somebody opened the SHA back up. He began training new recruits."

"At first, our company was shocked," said the Ringmaster. "I mean, we hadn't heard from the SHA in such a long time. Then, all of a sudden, we got a call from a man."

"Was it Mayor Cannonball?" asked Harvey.

"No," replied the boss.

"Were you the boss?"

"No, not yet."

"Who was the boss?"

"I don't remember. Anyway, we got a call from the SHA. We didn't know who the guy was on the other end."

"But he said that the SHA was back open, and they were coming for Darkstar Corp. that night," added the Ringmaster.

"We set up traps," said the boss. "All sorts of traps at the back entrance."

"There was no way they could get in."

"But, unfortunately, they put a couple of dummies in there as a diversion. The dummies set off the traps and the alarms, so they got in. There was a huge fight."

"How did Mayor Cannonball get the SHA?" asked Harvey.

"He was a recruit at the SHA," replied the Ringmaster. Her tone was colored with disgust. "They noticed how good he was, and when Mayor Cannonball was old enough, the previous boss retired, and they let Mayor Cannonball take over."

Everybody fell silent after that, including Harvey.

"Come on," said Black Dawn. "I know you have more questions. That can't possibly be it."

"Well..." Harvey didn't know what to say.

_What now?_

"How did you guys all join Darkstar Corporations?" he asked finally.

The villains smiled at him. Some of them laughed.

"Who wants to go first?" asked Black Dawn.

"We can go clockwise," suggested the Ringmaster.

Everyone agreed that was a good idea. The Ringmaster went first.

"Well," she began. "I got in a huge fight with my parents about a concert that I wanted to go to, they said I couldn't go, so I ran up to my room and escaped through my window. Years later, I went back to live with my parents, and when I saw them, we got into a big fight, and I yelled at them.

"I ran away. It was raining that night. I was crying so hard, and I collapsed in the grass, praying that someone would find me.

"My prayers were answered the next morning. Someone found me." She looked at Harvey. "It was your father."

Harvey smiled at her.

"He said 'Come with me,'" continued the Ringmaster. "He told me that everything would be okay. He took me back to the villains castle. Back here. I already knew I was darkness. He told me this was where I was supposed to be. So, I stayed."

Everyone looked at each other, at the Ringmaster, and then back at Harvey.

"Yeah, Harvey, I met your father," said the Ringmaster, answering a thought he'd had.

Harvey sighed. "Okay, next," he said.

Dark Mortimer told his story. "I was in love. I had no idea my girlfriend was planning to kill me."

Harvey gasped in shock. "Your girlfriend was planning to kill you? She wasn't darkness, was she?"

"No, she wasn't anything special. I don't know why she wanted to kill me. But she tried to kill me. Lucky for me, she forgot to load the gun.

"I was so angry,  _I_ killed  _her._

"The next day, I got a phone call. The woman on the phone asked me if I wanted to join Darkstar Corporations.

"I said yes. I needed a new life. She told me to wait outside the next morning, and that a car would come pick me up. Someone came." He smiled at the boss. "I've been a member ever since."

Next was Lois Thomas.

"How did you join this company?" asked Harvey. "And why?"

Lois cleared his throat. "I don't know why," he admitted. "But I can tell you how." He shot a glance at Harvey. "It was right after you tried to kill me. I ran as fast and as far as I could. I needed to find a place to stay for the night.

"I accidentally came to the villains castle. They lowered the drawbridge, and the Ringmaster and Twister came out to greet me. It seemed like they were trying to be friendly. I thought they were going to kill me. But they assured me that everything was going to be okay, that they weren't going to hurt me.

"I was still terrified. I'd already almost died once. I didn't need that to happen again, especially since I might not have been so lucky."

Harvey found it strange that after the experience, Lois classified himself as "lucky."

"But they convinced me to stay. They helped me. They gave me food and a place to stay.

"The next day, Black Dawn got a call from the SHA. I couldn't hear what the person on the other end was saying, but she said, 'Oh, yeah? Well, we have a new recruit.' Then the person on the other end must have asked who, because she said 'Lois Thomas.' I've been with Darkstar Corp ever since."

Then it was Twister's turn. "Pass," she said. She shot a glare at Harvey. "You really think I'd tell  _you_ my story?" she snapped.

"Okay, okay." Harvey held his hands up defensively. "Well, then, Silver, I guess it's your turn."

"I killed someone from the SHA, and that's when Darkstar Corp. asked me to join." The Silver Masquerade's voice filled with pride.

"Righteous!" said Harvey, and he and Silver slapped their hands into each other's. "That's all I've got. For tonight, anyways."

"Now comes the best part," said Black Dawn.

"There's something better?" asked Harvey, biting into another slice of pizza.

"Yeah, it's called truth or dare," said Twister. "So let's play already!"

"No," said the Ringmaster sharply. "This is the part where we can ask questions," she said softer, to Harvey.

"Go for it," said Harvey, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"So, tell us, what's it like being here?"

Harvey fell silent.

_What should I say? Should I tell them the truth?_

"The truth," Black Dawn and the Ringmaster agreed.

  
 _What if they don't like it?_ He wondered.

The Ringmaster giggled.

Black Dawn looked amused. "We'll be okay with whatever you say," she promised.

"No, we won't," muttered Twister.

"Well, I'm not sure," Harvey began cautiously. "I mean, I like you guys, but I don't really like being here." He sighed and shook his head. "It's like Black Dawn said earlier. I'm more of a lone wolf."

  
 _Are you leaving after the fight?_  asked the Ringmaster in her head, but Harvey read uncertainty in her thoughts, as if she didn't want to ask it out loud, partially because she was pretty sure she already knew the answer, partially because she didn't want to hear the answer.

At least, not right now. And if it was what she thought it was, it would hurt.

Twister, however, would be glad if Harvey left. She wanted to ask, wanted to hear the answer. Yes.

With excitement in her voice, she asked, "Does that mean you're leaving after the-?"

"Twister," snapped Harvey. "Shut up!"

She wouldn't do it for him, but surely she would do it for the Ringmaster. She didn't need to be able to read minds to know the implication of the sadness in her friend's eyes.

"Oh," she said quietly. "Never mind."

She didn't shoot Harvey a glare. It wasn't worth it. Besides, she knew he was only trying to watch out for the feelings of her friend. He didn't deserve her anger.

  
 _Thank you,_ said the Ringmaster.

  
 _No problem,_ replied Harvey, looking over at her. He looked friendly. All the darkness in his eyes that had been there earlier was gone. In that moment, there was nothing about him that gave away the fact that he was a villain. He looked gentle and kind. He looked like the nicest person on the planet. He looked like a true romantic. In this moment, he was looking at the Ringmaster the same way he looked at Lauren. In this moment, staring at each other like this, he and the Ringmaster looked like two people who were undeniably, irrevocably in love with each other.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, so i hope this chap helped you learn about the SHA and Darkstar Corp and the characters and everything. And please do comment. I love comments! And if you ask me to go and check out one of your books, I will. Bye! ps. just so you all know, i have just edited this chapter for a second time because i noticed some mistakes. If anyone notices a mistake anywhere in my book, please let me know so i can fix it when i do my book-editing over the weekends.**

**Thank you! <3**


	18. Chapter 18-Long Night

There was a pressing question deep inside Twister that had not existed yesterday. It was for Lois Thomas, about his experience with Harvey Wickston.

She wanted desperately to know. She had a million smaller questions that stemmed from one main question:

_What was it like?_

Being tied to the chair. Crying and screaming, knowing nobody could hear him. Being scared. Knowing he was going to die. She wanted to know.

Sure, it had been scary, that much she knew for sure. She had heard Brandon Wright screaming earlier. But she wanted  _details._

The newspapers suggested that Harvey had killed a lot of people. What they did not mention was the one who had survived. Lois Thomas.

Twister suspected that all of Harvey's victims had had similar experiences, but none of them had lived to tell about it. But she didn't care about the similarity of it.

The details would not be the same. Even if a hundred of Harvey's victims had survived, she would still want Lois's story. She didn't know why.

Was he scared? Did he think he would not survive? Was he trying to be brave? How much had he screamed? Did he accept it, or did he fight it? What had Harvey put him through? How far had it gotten? What had Harvey done to him? Had Harvey hurt Lois?

She did not ask. She was not going to put him through that again, was not going to make him relive the experience. She would not make him do that, would not put him in that position.

She would not terrify him like that again, and from the relationship she could see between them, Lois Thomas had been, and still was, terrified of Harvey.

She worried about the situation between them. She worried about the fact that Lois was still scared of Harvey- _incredibly_ scared. She worried that Harvey still had the power to scare Lois.

Above all, Twister worried about Lois in general. He had been through a terrifying experience. What was it like for him, now that Harvey was back?

She sighed, and it sounded very loud in the piercing silence. In fact, it made most of the villains jump.

The Ringmaster squealed, then started laughing. Then Harvey joined in. Then Twister. Soon, all the villains were laughing.

When the laughter had died down, and smiles were plastered on all the villains' faces, and all seven pairs of eyes were aglow, the Ringmaster said, "I'm gonna go clean up."

"I'll help," offered Harvey.

Harvey expected their exit to be accompanied by a gagging noise from Twister, but, to his surprise, it wasn't.

^^^

The two of them recycled the pizza boxes, then started on the kitchen, cleaning the dishes.

Harvey washed them, and the Ringmaster dried them and put them away.

"So who's Emily Rose?" asked the Ringmaster.

"Huh?" Harvey was confused. This question seemed to have come out of the blue.

"Earlier, when you were talking to Black Dawn...we were watching you...you mentioned Emily Rose." The Ringmaster tried to refresh his memory. It worked.

"Oh, right, her. She's just another one of my victims," Harvey said, brushing the matter off, sounding like it was unimportant-like  _she_ was unimportant.

"Are you having fun with her?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Have you killed her yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Why not?" the Ringmaster said louder, and it sounded like she was whining.

"You have to ease into it," Harvey reminded her calmly. "You can't just jump into the kill. Besides, you can still have fun with them without killing them. Not right away, anyway." He smiled at her. "It's one of the things I'm going to teach you guys over the next...however long."

"What?" If the Ringmaster had not been confused before, she definitely was now. "I thought you already taught us."

"No, definitely not," said Harvey. "Not even close. We have a lot of work to do."

"But today-"

"Today was just the beginning of the beginning."

"But...but I thought Darkstar Corp was already doing a really good job," said the Ringmaster quietly.

Harvey was so surprised at this comment that he dropped the plate he'd been washing back into the sink.

"Is that what you think is going on?" he asked her. "You think I'm trying to make you feel inferior to the SHA?"

The Ringmaster flinched when she heard the name of the competing company.

"Ringmaster, I'm not trying to insult this company in any way, personally or otherwise," Harvey assured her. "I'm just trying to help. It's not that you guys weren't good. You  _were_  good. But you can do better."

The Ringmaster looked up at him.

Harvey kept going. "Look, I rarely teach people to be great villains, to live up to their full potential. I chose your company because you're a well-known villain company, and

well-feared. Well, that and the fact that I accidentally ended up here."

This comment was answered by a giggle from the Ringmaster, which was what Harvey had been hoping for.

"Somewhere, deep inside you, is a great villain, just waiting to get out. I can help you get it out."

"I don't believe you," said the Ringmaster, but she was smiling, and her eyes looked amused.

Harvey sighed, then smiled. "Hang on, I'll give you an example. How did you feel when I was torturing Brandon?"

"A mix of fear and excitement."

"See? That's what I mean. The fear will go away with time, but that excitement! You've got to embrace that! To feel it! And that was just with me doing the killing. Imagine how it'll be when you're the one doing it." He cleared his throat. "I can help you do that. What do you think?"

The Ringmaster nodded. "Okay. Can you show me?"

Harvey's face lit up. He shared in the Ringmaster's excitement. "Yes, I can. I can show you right now. Come with me."

The Ringmaster dropped her towel on the floor and followed Harvey to his room, the room where he had killed Brandon earlier that day.

As they walked past the living room, it was empty, as Harvey had suspected it would be. It was very late, past nine. The two of them heard shouts and laughing and cheering coming from the open door of the gameroom, where everybody else had ended up after dinner.

The room was empty. Brandon's body was already gone, as was the blood. Everything else looked normal.

 _What happened in here?_ wondered Harvey immediately.

The Ringmaster smiled. "The boss cleaned up a bit in here."

Harvey nodded. That seemed very likely. He had seen Black Dawn's power. He was sure the Ringmaster would not lie to him. It all seemed to piece together. He did not immediately embrace that as the truth, but also did not dismiss it.

"Okay," said Harvey. "Sit down, like I was doing earlier. Facing the metal table, arms over the back." He spoke in the same tone he had used with Brandon. The Ringmaster did as she was told.

"There you go. That's it. Now just relax. Take some deep breaths. Close your eyes."

The Ringmaster's heart sped up. She took some deep breaths, but they came out warped. She closed her eyes. She was SCARED. She realized why. The things Harvey was saying, the way he was speaking. Everything that was happening, right here, right now, in this room, suggested that she was just another one of his victims. She knew she wasn't. So then why should she feel this way?

"Feel that power?" Harvey asked.

"Yeah," she replied. She had expected that her voice would come out sounding a lot like Brandon's, but it came out very strong.

"Embrace it. Feel the power. Absorb it. Savor it."

The Ringmaster's heart sped up a bit more. Her thoughts were muddled. She felt that everything Harvey was telling her to do, he was doing himself. She got this terrible feeling, as if he was going to kill her, or maybe hurt her, just to show her who was in control. Maybe hitting him had been a mistake on her part. Then another thought came into her mind, one that terrified her just as much, if not more: What would Harvey think if she screamed?

Harvey did not kill her. He did not hurt her. All that was left was her own thoughts and a large silence.

When she opened her eyes, Harvey was gone. She could not remember how long she had been sitting there. It felt like a hundred years. Harvey must have left her alone, she assumed. Left her alone to "embrace the power." Maybe it was something you needed to be alone for, or perhaps Harvey had gone to the monitor room to watch her, but in that case, she didn't know why he wouldn't have just stayed. Maybe he'd gone to be with his other friends.

How long did he expect her to stay there? She was getting bored. He must not expect her to stay there forever.

She did not go looking for Harvey right away. Instead, she got out of the chair and surveyed the room. Then she walked around a bit. She brushed the metal table with her fingertips. Her heart jumped as she did so. This time the Ringmaster didn't know if it was out of excitement, or fear, or a mix of both. She took a deep breath, trying to analyze it. She concluded that it was fear.

She didn't care. Harvey would not hurt her. The Ringmaster was just about to go looking for him, when he came into the room.

"Knock, knock," he said.

"Hi, Harvey."

"How was that?"

"I embraced the power, just like you told me."

"Good, good. Were you scared?"

"A bit," the Ringmaster admitted.

"Of the power or of me?"

"Both, I guess. Probably because I just didn't know what to expect."

Harvey nodded. "Are you scared now?"

"No, not anymore."

Suddenly Harvey's face changed. He smiled darkly. "You should be."

"What?"

Harvey lunged himself at the Ringmaster, pinning her to the metal table.

^^^

She screamed herself awake and fell off the chair.

Harvey ran over to her. "Ringmaster! What happened? Are you okay/"

Despite the contents of her nightmare, she clung to Harvey. It was just a dream. He seemed genuinely concerned. Everything was okay now.

"I had a nightmare," she squeaked. "But I'd rather not talk about it," she added quickly. From the way she said it, it was pretty obvious that she did not want Harvey to know about it at all, so Harvey did not try and pull it out of her mind.

The Ringmaster breathed deeply, wiped her eyes, and let go of Harvey.

"You okay?" asked Harvey.

The Ringmaster managed a small smile. "I am now."

Harvey gave a short, light chuckle. "I thought you were embracing the power! It looked like you were doing a great job of it. That's why I didn't disturb you. I didn't realize you'd actually fallen asleep!"

The Ringmaster giggled. "Guess I didn't embrace it well enough."

"You'll get it. We've got all the time in the world."

^^^

Harvey and the Ringmaster ended up in the gameroom. Twister, Dark Mortimer, and Black Dawn had already gone to bed, and Lois Thomas and the Silver Masquerade were on their way, so it was just the two of them.

"So, what else are you going to do tonight?" asked the Ringmaster.

"I'm going to have a bit of fun with Emily Rose. Give her a nightmare or two. Then I'm going to watch a horror movie."

"Then you can go to bed," suggested the Ringmaster.

"Yeah, I'll probably be pretty tired by then." He sighed.

The Ringmaster yawned.

Harvey gave a small chuckle. "Maybe  _you_ should go to bed."

"No way, not right now!" the Ringmaster insisted, bouncing up and down on the couch. "I want to watch you  _work!_  I can keep myself awake with sugar."

Harvey did not insist on her going to bed. He was not her parent, after all, and she was much too excited. She reminded him of  _him,_ almost 3 weeks ago, eager to kill Mick.

As they walked down the hall to the monitor room, Harvey thought.

The kill. Perhaps that was his present to himself. He was 36 years old.

Why hadn't Harvey wanted any presents this year? He could not explain it to himself.

"Aw," said the Ringmaster, jolting him out of his thoughts. Harvey had almost forgotten she was there.

"You didn't want any presents this year?" she continued. "Why?"

"I dunno," said Harvey.

"Why didn't you tell me to go to bed?" asked the Ringmaster. "You knew I was tired, but you didn't insist on me going to bed." She bit into another candy bar. She had taken the bowl of leftover M&Ms from the kitchen, eaten the ones that were left, then filled it up again with candy bars and chocolate.

"Who am I to tell you to go to bed?" asked Harvey, shrugging. "I'm not your father."

"I don't think you're indifferent," sang the Ringmaster, smiling. "I think you  _like_ me. I think you want to spend time with me."

"I like you. I mean, you're my friend."

"You want to go on a date with me."

"I  _have_ a girlfriend."

The Ringmaster snorted. "A  _fake_ girlfriend!"

There was a short silence. Then the Ringmaster said:

"You know how I can tell if boys want to date me? I pretend to be tired, and if they don't insist on me going to bed, it's because they want to hang out with me."

"As a friend."

"Boyfriend."

Harvey snorted. "Shut up! You're just making this up as you go along, aren't you?"

The Ringmaster pretended to be astounded by that comment. "I am  _not!"_  And on the word "not" she hit him.

Harvey started running, smiling, his eyes gleaming.

The Ringmaster yelled "Hey!" and bolted after him, laughing.

Harvey burst through the double doors of the monitor room. The Ringmaster followed him. She set the bowl down and helped Harvey get everything ready the way he wanted it.

"Good luck," she whispered, and Harvey nodded.

She unwrapped another chocolate bar, watching him give Emily Rose a nightmare. She noticed how excitedly he did it, but there was a key component that she absorbed. He used the same tone he'd used with Brandon.

When the nightmare was over and the monitors were set back to normal, the Ringmaster asked, "Why do you always talk to your victims the way you do?"

Harvey shook his head. "Not right now. I'll tell you later," he promised.

They both made popcorn and candy and put on Child's Play in the living room.

The Ringmaster had a sugar crash, and was asleep long before the movie ended.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hope you enjoy!**

**Next chap is from Harvey's past.**

**xoxoxoxoxoxo**


	19. Chapter 19-First Kill

Sam Graith woke up groggy, and blinked in the almost blinding light. He shook his head. It actually wasn't very bright in here, it just seemed like it after being in the dark for so long.

 

He sniffed, and started looking around for a clock. He didn't see one. What he did see, however, jolted him, woke him up more.

 

A young boy was sitting in a chair across from him. The chair was facing away from Sam, but the boy was looking straight at him.

 

Sam wondered where the boy had come from and why he was with Sam.

 

Sam blinked at the boy twice, then said, "What the...?" His words were still slurred with sleep.

 

He didn't finish his sentence. Instead he looked around. He appeared to be in some sort of warehouse. He yawned.

 

Sam blinked again. He did not know what to make of the situation. He reached up to wipe sleep from his eyes, then realized his hands were restrained behind him. He groaned.

 

The boy came up behind him and untied the rope.

 

"Thanks," muttered Sam, still not understanding things. But he would. He would understand that it was the young boy who had tied him up, that he was here to die, and that there was no escape. In time, he would understand. But it wasn't time yet.

 

Sam wiped his eyes, then muttered, "Where am I?" His words were relatively clear now.

 

"You're in a warehouse," said the boy. "This place has been abandoned for a long time."

 

"Yeah, I thought it looked kinda old and rundown."

 

"This place is really cool. It was my birthday present." From the boy's voice, Sam guessed he was no more than 9 years old, probably younger.

 

"When's your birthday?" Sam asked.

 

"June ninth."

 

Sam wondered why anyone would want an abandoned building for their birthday.

 

"This place has a lot of great uses," said the boy, almost as if he had read Sam's mind.

 

Sam chuckled. "Better than a tree house, huh?"

 

The boy smiled. "It's far away from the big city lights."

 

"Oh, a place where you can be alone."

 

"Yeah, something like that."  _More like, a place where nobody can hear you scream. And there will be a_ lot  _of screaming!_

 

"I guess the question is, why are we both here?" asked Sam.

 

"Well, I'm here to have some fun, and you can help me."

 

"If you want a playmate, why don't you go find someone your own age?" Sam was almost 24 years old.

 

"I think I'll have more fun with you," said the boy. "Besides, you're the one I want to play with." The boy took the rope again. He tied Sam's wrists to the chair arms.

 

"What are you doing?" asked Sam. His voice pleased the boy, as it sounded a bit shaky.

 

"Playing."

 

"Oh. So, this is like some sort of cowboys and Indians thing."

 

"Sort of."

 

Sam couldn't remember how he had gotten there. He tried to think, as the boy did something outside. Probably getting his toys.

 

What did Sam remember? He'd been going out for his morning walk...and a boy was there. The same boy from this warehouse.

 

He'd dragged Sam up to the warehouse, telling him there was a dog stuck in there.

 

Then...he'd tied Sam down to the chair. Sam had cried and cried, and then all his sleepless nights had hit him at once. How long had he slept?

 

 _Wait. Sleep. Nightmares!_ It was the boy from his nightmares! No! What? What was going on?

 

_Okay, okay, calm down, he hasn't hurt you yet._

 

 

^^^

 

 

Getting his toys. Sam had been right, in a sense. The boy dragged in a black bag, which Sam was afraid to ask about.

 

The boy spoke first. He sat down in his chair and said, "You were very tired. You slept for almost eighteen hours. I let you sleep, no nightmares, for one reason and one reason only."

 

"And what was that?" Sam asked, after a moment of silence. His voice shook more noticeably this time.

 

"It wouldn't have been any fun if you got tired!" the boy replied excitedly. "I let you sleep so that you would be fully awake."

 

Sam was shaking and crying. He squeaked, "Fully awake for what?"

 

"I'm going to kill you, Sam. And I want you to scream and cry and  _suffer."_

 

"No!" cried Sam, sobbing. "What is this? Some kind of sick, twisted lab experiment?"

 

"I guess you could call it that," said the boy.

 

"Oh, god! Why are you doing this to me?! Please, please, let me go!"

 

"You can't fight it, Sam."

 

"This is impossible! You're just a kid!"

 

"I am  _not!_  I'm eight years old!"

 

"Don't do this," whispered Sam. "Please!"

 

"I'm doing this," the boy answered him.

 

"NOOOO!" Sam yelled, as loud as he could. "LET ME GO! HELP!"

 

"Go ahead. Cry. Yell. Scream. This is why I got this warehouse. It's too secluded. Too far away from the city. Nobody can hear you out here." _Thanks, dad, I love it!_

 

"No, no, no!" sobbed Sam. "Stop it, please, please, stop it! Why, why? Somebody let me out of here! Let me go!"

 

"No, Sam," said the boy, in a soft, soothing voice. "I'm not going to let you go."

 

"Why are you doing this to me?" yelled Sam.

 

"Because of what you said. A lab experiment kind of thing. It's fun. I'm having fun. Aren't you?"

 

"No," squeaked Sam.

 

"Aw, why not?" The boy smiled at him, but there was something dark and evil about it.

 

"Why, why?" moaned Sam.

 

When the boy didn't answer, he yelled and screamed and pulled against the ropes.

 

"Let me go," moaned Sam.

 

"Shh, okay, be quiet," said the boy softly. "It's okay."

 

He walked over to Sam and untied the ropes.

 

"Thank you," whispered Sam.

 

"Don't thank me yet," said the boy, in the same tone, still softly, sweetly. The way he spoke sent chilling fear through Sam. "We're not done here. You really think I'd let you go that easy?"

 

Sam tried to hit or grab at the boy while he was free, but his captor was strong. The boy held him down and tired him up so tightly that it created a fresh flow of tears. The first wrist made him grunt, the second made him cry out in pain, then the tears started up again.

 

When Sam cried out, his captor started laughing. Sam guessed that this boy's pleasure came from his pain. He took a deep breath, telling himself to stay calm.

 

Then he remembered what the boy had said about him screaming and crying and suffering. He guessed there would be a lot of torture involved in his death. But the kid was only 8 years old. How much damage could he do? Honestly.

 

The boy smiled at him, and then dug into his bag.

 

Then a new thrill of fear ran through Sam, and he was sure he knew why. Often, the younger children were the most imaginative. What if this boy thought of some truly horrifying things to do to him?

 

No, he refused to believe it. This was too surreal.

 

Instead, he took another deep breath, cleared his throat, and asked: "Who are you?" The question came out less shaky.

 

"I am Harvey Wickston," his captor answered.

 

Sam was still worried and scared, but prided himself on the fact that, if he ever got out of this mess, he at least had some credible information to take to the police.

 

"You're not getting out of this," said Harvey. Again, quietly, softly. Sam began to cry.

 

Harvey's father had built cameras into the place, before he had given it to his son as a birthday present, so he could watch Harvey's kills, especially the first. He had a sort of complex system of monitors hooked up to the house and the warehouse. He was watching everything right now from his home office. Harvey and his dad were eagerly sending each other mind messages about the kill.

 

"You think I'm that stupid?" continued Harvey. "I wouldn't have told you my name if I thought there was a chance you might escape. I wouldn't have let you see my face, either."

 

Sam was crying so hard now, taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

 

_It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. Oh, god, no, it's not! He's going to kill you! You're going to die! No! Why me, why me? Pull. Struggle. Yell! Scream! Nobody can hear you! Why am I here? What does he want from me? No. No! NO!_

 

Sam pulled and struggled and screamed. His captor watched him with amusement.

 

Sam kept crying, but stopped screaming.

 

"Please, let me go," said Sam, crying, his voice breaking numerous times. "No! I wanna get out of here! Stop it, stop it, stop it!"

 

"You stop it," said Harvey, obviously amused. "The sooner you calm down, the sooner it'll all be over."

 

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!" screamed Sam. "Please! I won't go to the police! I promise."

 

"I can't really trust you, can I? Well, even if I could, I still wouldn't let you go. Sometimes we just have to accept our fate, which is what I expect you to do now. So, come on, Sam. You're almost 24 years old. Be a man. Suck it up."

 

"How much money do you want?"

 

Harvey merely chuckled. "Oh, poor Sam. You think you can bribe me? I'm going to take everything in your wallet, anyway, after you're dead." He put a candle on the floor and lit it.

 

"You're insane!" cried Sam. "You know that?"

 

"Thank you, Sam," said Harvey.

 

_It wasn't meant to be a compliment!_

 

"Shhhh," said Harvey. "Okay, Sam, now I want you to relax, take some deep breaths for me, and close your eyes."

 

Sam did as he was told.

 

"Very good, Sam. Good boy. Now, I want you to count backwards from 3."

 

Sam counted backwards. Then Harvey held the candle close to Sam's hand. Closer. Closer. Sam cried and moaned in agony, gritting his teeth and breathing through them.

 

Sam would not scream.

 

Time for the nails.

 

Harvey pulled out the hammer and nails from his bag. He placed the nail over Sam's foot.

 

Sam's hand burned like crazy, but he was determined not to give Harvey the satisfaction of screaming. He found it almost impossible to believe that such a young boy could inflict this much pain on him, or on anybody, for that matter. He wondered why he hadn't yet woken up from this nightmare.

 

"It's not a nightmare," said Harvey, and banged the hammer, as if to prove it.

 

Sam's scream could have been heard for miles around, if only there had been someone there to hear it.

 

 

 

 

**Hope you guys enjoyed!**

 

**xD <3**


	20. Chapter 20-Unhinging Darkness

Harvey didn't normally eat cereal, but he seemed to have acquired a taste for it in the few days that he was at Darkstar Corp., especially Frankenberry.

 

In fact, he was on his third bowl of Frankenberry when the Ringmaster came into the kitchen and popped open a bottle of root beer.

 

"You want one?" she asked Harvey.

 

"No, thanks," he said. "How'd you sleep last night?"

 

"Good. Really good. How about you?"

 

"Same."

 

"Are you gonna tell us some more today?"

 

"I'll have another meeting. It'll be righteous."

 

The Ringmaster groaned. "Is that a yes or a no?"

 

Harvey just smiled and shook his head. "Ringmaster, Ringmaster, Ringmaster," he murmured. "When will you learn?"

 

"Learn what?" the Ringmaster pressed. "Har-vey!" she whined.

 

She tried reading his mind signal, but it gave away nothing. Finally she threw up her hands, sighed heavily, and stormed out of the kitchen. Harvey chuckled.

 

As the Ringmaster left, Twister came in.

 

"Well," she said. "She's already annoyed with you. Congratulations. That's a new record."

 

"And what do I have to do to annoy you today?" asked Harvey.

 

"Hmmm...well...just the fact that you're alive annoys me."

 

"Well, then, my work here is done."

 

"Funny. What if I were to kill you?"

 

"What if  _I_ were to kill  _you?"_

 

"How can you act so nonchalant after what happened last night? After what you  _did_ last night?"

 

"Hey, I may torture people to death, but I can still hit it off with the ladies."

 

"They don't know you're a crazy killer."

 

"Oh, and I suppose all your boyfriends know that you're working for Darkstar Corporations," Harvey shot right back.

 

"They don't need to know my life story," said Twister, but she blushed.

 

"I have a girlfriend." Harvey's voice was filled with pride.

 

"You have a fake girlfriend."

 

"Playing that card already, are we?"

 

"You sort of set it up to  _be_ played."

 

"I have half a mind to say you have a soft spot for me."

 

"That makes you a lot dumber than I first thought you were."

 

"I said I had half a mind."

 

"Which is a lot more than I ever thought you'd use."

 

"You know, you actually only use ten percent of your brain," Harvey informed her.

 

Twister gasped. "Hey!"

 

Then Dark Mortimer, who had been sitting quietly until this moment, said, "It's true. People only use ten percent of their brains."

 

"Oh," said Twister. "I thought it was just me, cuz that's what he said." She glared at Harvey and stuck out her tongue, then smiled at Mortimer and left.

 

"Way to piss off the girls," said Mortimer.

 

"Thanks." Harvey snorted.

 

"Wanna go to the boss's study? We could throw a pie in her face."

 

"Ha ha, very funny.'

 

Mortimer laughed. Then Twister came back into the kitchen and washed her hands. She dried them with a kitchen towel, then tried to whip Harvey with it.

 

"Look out!" cried Mortimer.

 

Too late. Whap! The towel hit Harvey.

 

"Ha!" exclaimed Twister.

 

Harvey rolled his eyes. "That didn't hurt."

 

He grabbed a dishtowel and snapped it back.

 

"Ow!" cried Twister. "That hurt, you idiot!"

 

"You don't know how to do it right, but it hurts if you know how. Want me to teach you?"

 

"No. Go away!" Twister threw down the towel and stormed out of the kitchen.

 

"Way to go, Harvey," said Mortimer.

 

 

^^^

 

 

 _All the time in the world._ Those words were left in the Ringmaster's head after last night. Was Harvey really planning to stay? What did he mean by "all the time in the world."?

 

 _Maybe I'm just kidding myself,_ she thought.

 

 _Hey, Ringmaster, come on,_ said Harvey in her head.  _We're having another meeting._

 

 _Be right down!_ called the Ringmaster.

 

She put on her top hat and grabbed her root beer. Then she looked in her mirror and smiled sadly, then hurried downstairs.

 

 

^^^

 

 

Frank drove up to Lauren's house, only to discover the lights were out.

 

 _She must still be at Cooper's house,_ he thought.

 

This theory proved correct. Lauren was sitting on the porch, looking at every car that went by, trying to see if it was Cooper.

 

When Frank parked in Harvey's garage, Lauren's eyes turned frantic, and her heart sped up slightly.

 

 _Oh, god please let it be good news!_ she thought.  _Please don't tell me they found him dead in the old bowling alley!_

 

Then she saw Frank coming towards her, smiling, eyes shining, and took a deep breath to calm herself. Her boyfriend hadn't turned up dead. Good.

 

"Lauren!" said Frank, sitting down beside her on the porch. "Cooper called me yesterday!"

 

"What did he say?"

 

"He said he loves you and he'll be home very soon, like, in a few days."

 

"When was this?"

 

"Yesterday."

 

"At least we know he's alive! I've been so worried about him. With that killer on the loose and all. God, I am  _so_ mad at him right now!"

 

"He doesn't have his cell phone."

 

"He should have called!"

 

"He was busy. He had some business to take care of."

 

"Can we *69 him?"

 

Frank shook his head. "I'm afraid not. He called me at work."

 

"At least we know he's safe," said Lauren, and the two of them went inside.

 

 

^^^

 

 

All the members of Darkstar Corp. were gathered in the living room, and they were all talking at once. They all had a million questions for Harvey.

 

When Harvey came in, they all started yelling at him at once.

 

"Harvey, Harvey, Harvey!"

 

"Okay, okay, settle down, quiet, please!" Harvey said above the commotion. With everyone yelling at once, he could hardly hear himself think.

 

Everyone settled down and stopped talking.

 

"I am now taking questions," Harvey said. "But one at a time. Okay? Not all at once."

 

Harvey's friends all stuck their hands up.

 

"Okay, Ringmaster," said Harvey.

 

"Why do you always talk to your victims the way you do? Like, with Brandon."

 

"Not right now," said Harvey. "Some of this stuff I'll teach you guys later. Right now I want to focus on the kill, and the stuff that comes before. Yes, Mortimer."

 

"What do you mean by 'the stuff that comes before.'?" asked Dark Mortimer.

 

The villains all leaned forward expectantly. The darkness flashed in Harvey's eyes.

 

He said, "It's not just all about the kill. There's another larger, longer part that comes before. I'll teach you guys all of this stuff. I'm gonna teach you how to harness the power and unhinge the darkness." He chuckled darkly. "The Ringmaster knows. She saw me do it last night. I worked with her. She did it. She felt it. She knows all about it. By the way, why'd you guys go to bed so early last night?"

 

"It had been a long day," said Mortimer.

 

"Yeah, we were really tired," said the Silver Masquerade.

 

"I wasn't tired." The Ringmaster sounded like she was bragging.

 

Dark Mortimer threw a pillow at her.

 

"Can you teach us today?" pressed the Ringmaster.

 

"Maybe not today," said Harvey, chuckling. "But, definitely over the next few weeks, this is the stuff that we're going to be working on. I want to build the darkness up in you guys. But, I also want to build some lasting relationships with you guys. I want to have friendships. I hope that all of you, will, over time, learn to trust me."

 

"I trust you already!" said the Ringmaster.

 

"So do I!" Dark Mortimer chimed in.

 

"I trusted him first!" cried Black Dawn.

 

The Ringmaster threw a pillow at Dark Mortimer, but he ducked and it hit the Silver Masquerade instead.

 

"I trust him more than any of you guys!" called Silver, before he threw it back.

 

Black Dawn caught it.

 

"I trust him times a hundred!" she declared, and threw it at Dark Mortimer.

 

"I trust him times a thousand!" yelled Mortimer, then threw it at the Ringmaster.

 

"I trust him times a hundred thousand!" yelled the Ringmaster.

 

"A million!" cried Black Dawn.

 

"A gazillion!" yelled Mortimer.

 

"A million gazillion bazillion!" screamed Silver.

 

"I trust him times infinity!" announced the Ringmaster.

 

"Well, I trust him times infinity and beyond!" cried Mortimer.

 

"I trust him to infinity and beyond beyond!" cried Silver.

 

Then they all yelled, "To infinity and beyond!" and threw all the pillows at Harvey.

 

Twister and Lois Thomas took this opportunity to escape.

 

"That was the worst meeting ever!" said Twister, after they caught their breath.

 

"Agreed," said Lois, with a hint of anger in his voice.

 

"I can't believe they're obsessing over what happened last night!"

 

"Neither can I."

 

"And I can't believe that they're so excited about it! I mean, I felt sick to my stomach. How many more meetings is he going to call?"

 

"I'm not going to the next one."

 

Twister snorted. "Yeah, neither am I." She sighed. "This place is really starting to creep me out. Maybe I'll just go join the SHA."

 

"Hey, come on," said Lois. "You don't have to say stuff like that. Even with Har...uh, taking over and changing things, this place is still great."

 

It was almost impossible-no, it  _was_  impossible-for Lois to say his former enemy's name. Twister didn't have to read his mind to know what was going on.

 

"You don't believe that," she said.

 

"Well, it's better than the SHA," said Lois.

 

"You don't believe that, either." There was a long moment of silence.

 

"You're scared of him," said Twister finally. Quietly. "Aren't you?"

 

"No," whispered Lois.

 

"Lois," said Twister. "Look at me."

 

Lois averted his eyes, staring at the floor.

 

"Lois, look at me. Please, Lois, look at me."

 

Lois looked up. The amount of sympathy he saw in Twister's eyes was almost overwhelming.

 

"You don't have to lie to yourself, Lois," she told him. "Please, please, tell me the truth. You don't have to lie to yourself, and you don't have to lie to me."

 

"But I have to lie to him," whispered Lois. He shook his head. "I see that happiness, that excitement, that  _pride_ in his eyes when he knows he can scare me. He knows I'm scared of him, and he  _likes_ it. He likes the fact that he can still scare me. He likes it when my heartbeat accelerates, when my eyes fill with fear. He likes it. He  _loves_ it."

 

"Lois, Lois, it's okay," said Twister. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I'm so, so sorry."

 

"What are you sorry for? It's not your fault."

 

"Oh, Lois! Oh, my god! Lois, Lois, please, please!" She shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to calm both herself and Lois.

 

"It won't stop," whispered Lois, and his voice shook. "It won't stop. I don't think I can ever recover." He stared at the floor. "I don't wanna end up like Brandon."

 

"Lois Thomas!" snapped Twister. "Don't you ever say that!" She lowered her voice. "Lois, you're safe here. He can't hurt you anymore."

 

Lois fell to his knees. Twister sat down on the floor.

 

Tears ran down Lois's face. "But what if he can?" he asked. "Twister, you haven't seen him in action. You haven't seen his power. You don't know what he's capable of. What if he's more powerful than Black Dawn? What if he hurts me?"

 

Twister threw her arms around him. "Oh, Lois! Lois! Lois, Lois, Lois," she moaned. She felt his pain.

 

"Come on," she said. "Let's just...get out of here. Let's go to a restaurant or something. We'll go have some food." She took another deep breath. "It'll be okay." She took his hand and they escaped.

 

 

^^^

 

 

Lauren and Frank arrived at the Firkin at 11:15. They both needed some food, and Lauren needed to get out of the house.

 

Lois Thomas and Twister walked into the same restaurant at 11:30. Nobody reacted. Everybody knew who they were, and had become accustomed to them living life and acting like normal civilians.

 

After the fear was over, they were often treated like celebrities, but that had ended several years ago. Still, Twister and Lois Thomas did not have to read minds to know that, even though people didn't show it, they were still slightly scared.

 

Everyone's heartbeats accelerated when they saw members of Darkstar Corp.

 

That was what happened now. Nobody looked up from their meal, but everybody started hoping they were just coming in for lunch and not to kill somebody.

 

At 11:30, it was a bit too early for the lunch crowd, and only 3 or 4 tables were full.

 

When Lauren saw the villains walk in, she nudged Frank.

 

"Frank," she hissed. "Look!"

 

Frank looked up. "Oh."

 

"That can't be good."

 

"Relax. They're just hungry."

 

"Hungry for blood! You don't know they just came in for lunch."

 

"You don't know they didn't."

 

"Frank!" Lauren whined.

 

"Do they look evil to you?"

 

"Well, not right now, but-"

 

"Lauren, chill. You have nothing to worry about."

 

"I wish Cooper was here. He has a gun."

 

"At least they don't have any powers. If they do try to attack us, we can at least fight back."

 

Lauren tugged on Frank's arm. "Oh, no! They're coming over here."

 

"Lauren, relax, it's okay."

 

"I don't wanna die before I see Cooper again!"

 

"You're not gonna die. Just wait and see what they want."

 

"I think we should leave," Lauren said matter-of-factly. "What if they want  _us?"_

 

Twister and Lois Thomas sat near Frank and Lauren, talking and laughing.

 

"Have you ever thought about adopting?" Twister asked Lois.

 

"No." He shrugged. "Come on, I'm a villain. I'm not parent material."

 

"Well, I think you'd make a wonderful father. I mean, the Dark Lord's raising kids, and he's great at it."

 

"Yeah, but I'm not the Dark Lord. I'm just me."

 

"And  _you_ are great!"

 

Lauren couldn't believe what she was seeing! Twister and Lois Thomas  _together?_ She couldn't believe what she was hearing! The Dark Lord had kids? Even though she was still scared, her curiosity got the better of her.

 

"The Dark Lord has kids?" she asked in awe.

 

The moment Lois Thomas heard that beautiful, silky smooth voice, his life changed forever. He turned around and saw the beautiful girl sitting there, her perfect teeth almost gleaming at him. She had wavy, incredible, shiny blond hair that stopped just below her shoulders. She was sitting at the table with her open-mouthed, stunned looking...well, friend, he hoped.

 

"Yeah, he's got twins," said Lois without missing a beat, his eyes lighting up. "Jonathan and Julia."

 

"Careful, Lauren!" hissed Lauren. "Curiosity killed the cat!"

 

When Lauren hit him, Lois and Twister exchanged meaningful glances.

 

"So, are you guys dating?" asked Lauren.

 

"No," said Lois and Twister together.

 

"How about you?" asked Lois. "You dating anybody?"

 

"Yeah, I have a boyfriend," said Lauren. "His name is Cooper Branson. I don't know where he is right now. This is my friend, Frank."

 

"Nice to meet you," said Lois quickly, barely glancing at the man. "So, Lauren, maybe you'd like to join us for lunch or-"

 

"Will you excuse us for a minute?" interrupted Twister, who did not like where this was going. "We have to talk."

 

"Hurry back!" Lauren called after them.

 

They hurried away and stood by the wall.

 

"Are you insane?" demanded Twister. "Are you  _trying_ to get yourself killed?"

 

"Well-" he began, but that was as far as he got with his explanation, not that he had much of one.

 

" _Why_ are you seducing Harvey's girlfriend? That's  _Harvey_ _'s_ girlfriend! Which means, she's off limits to you!"

 

"Well, I have nothing to worry about!" protested Lois. " _I'm_ off-limits to  _him."_

 

"Lois, you're really pushing it!" She sighed. "Okay, look, we're just gonna go to another restaurant. Just walk right through the front doors and find someplace else to eat."

 

"I gotta go to the bathroom first," said Lois. "Go wait for me in the car."

 

"Lois, if you even go near that girl-"

 

Lois held up his hands. "I won't, I promise."

 

Twister made the "I'm watching you" sign. Lois smiled and nodded. When Twister was gone, he made a long trip to the bathroom. Then he went to see Lauren again. He wrote down his phone number on a napkin.

 

"So," said Lauren. "You're really not going to kill me, are you?"

 

"Nope."

 

"So maybe we can have breakfast tomorrow?"

 

"Maybe. Listen, if anybody asks, you never saw me, okay?"

 

Lauren looked surprised, but she said, "Okay, got it."

 

"Here's my number." Lois handed her the napkin. "Listen. I have to go now, but it was really nice to meet you and call me, okay?"

 

Lois rushed out to the car. He had dragged out his bathroom run so that Twister would get distracted. It had worked. Twister was playing with the radio stations.

 

"What the hell took you so long?" she asked, then said, "Never mind. I don't wanna know."

 

"Yeah, you don't," said Lois.

 

 

^^^

 

 

"Where are Twister and Lois Thomas?" asked Harvey. After the ultimate pillow fight, he and the Ringmaster were popping popcorn, preparing for a movie marathon.

 

"Twister texted me earlier," said the Ringmaster. "They're out for an early lunch."

 

"They're gonna miss band practice."

 

"Well, we were gonna have it at either 1:00 or 4:00, so I guess it's 4:00 now, since they went out."

 

Harvey snorted. "Let's just have it at one. Let them miss it. Who cares?"

 

"I care. We'll sound terrible!"

 

"The rest of the band will sound terrible!" said Harvey. "You'll sound great no matter what."

 

"Shut up!" The Ringmaster hit him, smiling.

 

"Ow! Knock it off!"

 

"So, tell me the truth," said the Ringmaster, getting chocolate out of the drawer. "Is my question really irrelevant right now, or are you not answering it just to bug me?"

 

"Well," teased Harvey. "I could answer that, but..."

 

"Oh, shut up."

 

"It's not relevant right now. I'll tell you when it's time."

 

The Ringmaster tossed Harvey a chocolate bar, which he promptly caught.

 

"You...you really think I sound good?" she asked.

 

"Yeah," said Harvey. "I really do."

 

"You really stayed here to save my life, didn't you?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Wow. You don't have to do that you know."

 

"Wait, do you think you're forcing me to be here?"

 

"You and Black Dawn...you were talking and..." The Ringmaster looked at the floor.

 

"You think I don't like being here? Just because I said...?"

 

"Face it, Harvey, if I hadn't saved your life, you wouldn't even be here right now!"

 

"I don't know how I feel about this place. That doesn't mean I don't like it here. I want to be here. I don't want you to die!"

 

"But that's really the only reason you're here?"

 

"I never said that, but it's definitely very important! You are very important. Not just to me, but to a lot of people. You have lots of good friends in this castle. And I'm one of them. I know I'd be very upset if you died."

 

"But I barely even know you. Besides, what happened to no emotional attachment?"

 

"It's complicated. It doesn't apply to..."

 

"Other villains?" the Ringmaster asked, looking at Harvey again.

 

"Sort of. Like I said, it's complicated. But the point is that we're all a team now. We're all in this together, and we're all going to the battle of 1994. It'll be very historical, especially when we win."

 

The Ringmaster smiled, then hit him again and ran off.

 

As she ran, she realized that Harvey had complicated feelings towards her, and however complicated Harvey's feelings towards her were, she had feelings towards Harvey that were just as confusing. She wondered if one of them would ever dare to try to describe those feelings. But, more than anything, she wondered if Harvey felt the same way towards her that she felt towards him. Probably not.

 

But she could hope, and as long as they both kept their feelings a secret, it would be okay.

 

Right?

 

 

^^^

 

 

After Lauren and Frank ordered their food, Frank said something.

 

"So, you're hanging out with the villains now, are you?"

 

"Yeah. So what?"

 

"You weren't scared."

 

"Lois Thomas is here. Besides, Cooper isn't here. What do you expect me to do, spend the rest of my life in a hole?"

 

"Lauren, that's not what I meant, okay? You can have a social life. Just preferably not with Lois. Look, all I'm saying is, killers aren't the best people to be making friends with. Agreed?"

 

"Not agreed."

 

"Lauren, Darkstar Corp. is a terrible place. The villains there only have attachments to each other. They don't really care about anything or anyone outside of their job."

 

"So you're saying that Lois Thomas getting close to me is just another one of Darkstar Corp's devious, underhanded schemes?"

 

"Could be."

 

"He's so sincere."

 

"Lauren, they're trained to be that way."

 

"You're one to talk. You thought Cooper was a killer! I'm hanging out with Lois, whether you like it or not!"

 

Her tone was final. Frank started eating his lunch and didn't say anything else, but he thought,  _I liked it better when she was scared of them._

 

 

^^^

 

 

Twister and Lois Thomas got home around 2:00, and immediately went off to the gameroom.

 

The movie was over, and Harvey and the Ringmaster had both gone off to their own separate rooms. Harvey was watching the game with his friends, and the Ringmaster went into the kitchen so she could have some quiet to fill out another application to the House of Villains.

 

Twister went into the kitchen to get a root beer, and saw her best friend sitting there, looking discouraged.

 

"What's wrong?" she asked.

 

"I don't have anything to put on my application," said the Ringmaster, and sighed. "I'm never getting into the House of Villains. I stink."

 

Twister looked over her friend's forms. "Well...you could tell them about the staff. The lollipops. Tell them where you got the costume."

 

The Ringmaster was writing almost as fast as her friend was talking.

 

"Tell them how you got the darkness in the staff. That's a good one."

 

"Harvey thought so, too."

 

"Don't say a word about Harvey, at least not on your application."

 

"But-"

 

"Trust me."

 

"Done." They sealed it and addressed it and stamped it.

 

"Thanks, Twister," said the Ringmaster.

 

"Hey, what are friends for?"

 

Then Harvey came into the kitchen. "What are you guys doing?" he asked. "No, wait. Don't tell me, let me guess. You're sending another application to the House of Villains."

 

Twister threw a pencil at him. "Stay out of my head!" she snapped.

 

"Anyone want a root beer?"

 

"I do!" said the Ringmaster.

 

"Catch." Harvey tossed the bottle at her.

 

Twister scooped up the application just in time. The bottle broke, and there was an explosion of pop.

 

"HARVEY!" yelled the Ringmaster, and ran off.

 

"I'm sorry!" Harvey called.

 

"Ringmaster!" Twister cried after her. She glared at Harvey. "I hate you."

 

Harvey didn't even say anything back. He just took off his fedora. This was the second time today he had made the Ringmaster upset. He was glad the boss was in her study.

 

Yesterday had been great! Why couldn't today be the same way?

 

"You can still turn your day around," said Black Dawn from the doorway.

 

"I highly doubt that." Harvey snorted. "Can you rewind time and un-piss off the Ringmaster?"

 

Black Dawn laughed at that. "No. But, hey, it could've been a lot worse. If Twister wasn't there, you would have gotten pop all over the application, and she would be angrier at you than she is right now."

 

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

 

"Think of it this way. You could've never gotten in that fight with the SHA, and the Ringmaster wouldn't have saved you, which means you never would've saved her."

 

Harvey flinched. He didn't want to think about that.

 

"That's what happens when you're in relationships, Harvey. Any kind of relationship." The boss smiled. "You're going to have good days and you're going to have bad days. The boys make each other mad all the time. They make me mad. Twister makes me mad. The Ringmaster makes me mad. I make people mad. Everyone here in the castle has fought with each other at one time or another. In fact, just a few weeks ago, Twister and the Ringmaster had a really big fight, believe it or not."

 

"What would they fight about?" Harvey found it very hard to believe that friends that close would ever fight, even in the worst of situations.

 

"They'd rather I didn't tell you. Come on, let's get this mess cleaned up."

 

They took two cloths and started cleaning up. They wiped down the table, the chairs, and the floor.

 

"I have some things to show you today," said Black Dawn.

 

"More stuff?" asked Harvey. "I thought you showed me everything yesterday."

 

"Almost everything."

 

They both went for the same spot on the floor, and bumped heads. They laughed. Harvey got up and bumped his head on the table. They laughed louder.

 

Then the Ringmaster came back into the kitchen.

 

"Hey, guys," she said. "Thanks for taking care of the mess."

 

"No problem," said Harvey.

 

"Hey, no hard feelings about the spill, okay? At least you did minimal damage to my envelope."

 

Harvey looked back at Black Dawn, who made a "See? I told you" face.

 

"Can we show him that stuff now?" asked the Ringmaster, as Harvey was rinsing out his cloth.

 

"Go ahead," said Black Dawn. "I'll catch up with you guys soon."

 

"Come on." The Ringmaster grabbed his hand and they hurried off.

 

 

^^^

 

 

The Ringmaster and Harvey escaped out the back to something that Harvey had glimpsed out of the corner of his eye only once, and hadn't cared about...until now.

 

The hedge maze was huge. It was amazing! Parts of it looked like they were gleaming in the dazzling sunlight. Standing at the entrance, Harvey was able to appreciate it much more, to notice all the intricate details.

 

"Wow," he said, his voice filled with awe. He took a step forward. "I'm going in," he said with excitement.

 

"No!" The Ringmaster grabbed his wrist to stop him. "Don't. Once you go inside, the entrance will close. You could be lost for a long time in there. If we go in, we go in together."

 

Harvey grabbed her hand. "Then let's go!"

 

"Well, not right now. We have stuff to do." Her eyes twinkled.

 

"Then why are you showing me this?"

 

"Happy birthday, Harvey."

 

"What? Seriously?"

 

"I thought you deserved it. After you saved my life and all."

 

"Wow! Thanks so much!"

 

"So you like it?"

 

"It's incredible."

 

"Want a better view?"

 

They went up to the monitor room, and the Ringmaster fiddled with the knobs until they were looking into the hedge maze. It was even more incredible inside. The Ringmaster must have taken a very long time to set it up. There were shelves with different collections of figurines on them, glass cases with various things in them, including numerous collections of model cars. At every turn, there was a birdbath or a small fountain on the inside of the corners.

 

"Come on, Harvey," the Ringmaster said after fifteen minutes, breaking his concentration. "We have a few more things to see."

 

"Aw, nuts," said Harvey.

 

"Don't worry. The other things are at least as cool as this maze, trust me."

 

They fixed the monitors. Then, as they were going up to the next thing, they met up with Black Dawn.

 

"Hey, Harvey," she said. "Wanna be immortal?"

 

"Immortal?"

 

"Not exactly immortal," said the Ringmaster. "You just never age. We have a kind of darkness that does that. Or, rather, the boss does."

 

"You can stay 36 forever," said Black Dawn.

 

"All right, lay it on me," said Harvey, with a small smile.

 

Black Dawn looked as if she were focusing on something straight ahead. Harvey watched her.

 

Ten seconds later, the boss said, "Okay, it's done. There you go."

 

"Cool," said Harvey.

 

They went into a small room. It looked a bit like the monitor room, except there was just one computer.

 

Black Dawn sat down. She started pressing keys and setting things up.

 

"Okay," she said finally. The website was www.touchstone.com. There was a picture of a red ring with a black background. "This is something the Dark Lord has been working on for a while. I said it needed to be more evil, and he said it doesn't, so I didn't bother arguing with him. He said it was top-secret, but he showed it to me a few weeks ago, and it's good. It's coming along."

 

Harvey read the info box that appeared on the screen. It was code, a bunch of numbers and letters.

 

"Code for the game," guessed Harvey.

 

"Basically," said Black Dawn. "So, when people enter this site, they think it'll be just a normal game, but it's not. It's a game of survival. If you die in the game, you die for real."

 

Harvey pressed a key, and all the code was gone.

 

"Harvey," said the Ringmaster. "What are you doing?"

 

"He'll thank me later," was all Harvey said, as he slipped a disc into his pocket.

 

"As long as you know what you're doing," said Black Dawn.

 

"Come on," said the Ringmaster. "We've got one last thing."

 

"Best for last," said Black Dawn.

 

They went down the hall to a locked room, and the boss pulled out a key from around her neck and opened it up.

 

There was a towel covering something that was on the floor, and round at the top.

 

Black Dawn stood beside it and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the one, the only, Rising of Darkness."

 

Then she removed the towel.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, that was a long chapter. So, first things first, what do you guys think is under the towel? Second, I've been reading this book called Finding Maggie. It's really good, you guys should check it out. Like I wrote on my Twitter page, the first person to comment on this book gets a dedication in the next chapter-assuming I ever get it done.**

 

**I have a lot of appointments and my brother's birthday-don't be surprised if I dissapear for a couple of weeks.**

 

**see you guys later. <3**


	21. Chapter 21-The Villain Birthday Party

Harvey looked at the machine in awe. It looked like a slightly larger version of R2-D2. It had about a million buttons, and a small screen that looked like a computer. Floating on the screen was the same picture from Touchstone.

 

The red ring turned counter-clockwise.

 

"What the-?" Harvey began, but didn't finish.

 

"The spaceship has landed!" squealed the Ringmaster.

 

Harvey made a small half-smile. "Wow," he said in amazement. "I'm impressed."

 

"What do you think?" asked Black Dawn.

 

"It's righteous," said Harvey.

 

"A lot of power and energy is stored inside this machine," the boss explained.

 

"Why don't you just let it out now?" asked Harvey. "We could save ourselves the trouble of the 1994 battle."

 

"No can do."

 

"What? How come?"

 

"First of all, the darkness takes months, maybe even years, to travel, and to work the way it's supposed to. Second of all, we can't just release it whenever we want."

 

"What are we waiting for?" wondered Harvey.

 

"It's just a special time, and...it's complicated. It's going to be a long time. If we release it at the wrong time, disaster will strike, and possibly the end of the world."

 

"Wow," breathed Harvey. "So how long is a long time?" he asked conversationally. "Ten years? Twenty? Two hundred?"

 

"I don't know," said Black Dawn.

 

"Then how will we know when it's time?"

 

"We'll know. We'll feel it."

 

They left the room and Black Dawn locked the door again.

 

"So, who's hungry?" she asked. "We're barbecuing cheeseburgers for lunch."

 

"I'm hungry," said the Ringmaster.

 

"Me, too," said Harvey.

 

Just then, Dark Mortimer came around the corner. "I've been looking for you guys everywhere," he said. "Come on, lunch is ready."

 

They all went out to the dining room, where there was a large table set with an amazing feast. Cheeseburgers, salad, kraft dinner. Sandwiches, drinks, soup, chocolate cupcakes, leftover pizza. The spread was incredible.

 

Lois Thomas and Twister had already eaten lunch, so Harvey had figured they wouldn't be there. Not that he cared.

 

All the villains cheered and raised their glasses when they saw him.

 

Harvey smiled.

 

"Happy birthday, Harvey," said the Silver Masquerade.

 

"This is all for me?" asked Harvey.

 

"Yup," said Dark Mortimer.

 

"We couldn't pass up an opportunity to celebrate your birthday," said Black Dawn.

 

"By the way, the Ringmaster made something extra special for you," said Mortimer.

 

"Brownies laced with cinnamon," guessed Harvey.

 

The Ringmaster smiled and giggled. "Gee, I wonder how he knew." She reached up to put her arms around his neck, but he ducked to avoid it, so she hit him instead.

 

"What, no music?" asked Harvey.

 

"Chill, we got that too," said Mortimer.

 

The Ringmaster pressed play on a CD player hooked up to the wall.

 

Music started playing. Harvey didn't recognize the words or know the song, but he recognized the tune. The Ringmaster had been humming it yesterday.

 

"Boyz 2 Men," he said.

 

"Yeah," said the Ringmaster. "Exactly."

 

"Why am I not surprised?"

 

The Ringmaster giggled. Then everybody sat down to eat. Harvey sat between Black Dawn and the Ringmaster. Dark Mortimer sat on the left side of the Ringmaster.

 

The villains all started filling up their plates.

 

Harvey took some of everything.

 

"Go ahead," the Ringmaster encouraged him. "Eat as much as you want. It's your birthday." She smiled. "Besides, we can always make more if we need to."

 

"We will," Harvey assured her.

 

The Ringmaster smiled and rolled her eyes.

 

The second song started playing. It was Foreigner.

 

"I thought you said this was Boyz 2 Men," said Harvey, confused.

 

"This is a mixed CD," explained Mortimer.

 

"Oh," said Harvey.

 

The villains ate and talked.

 

"So, is the Dark Lord coming back?" asked Harvey.

 

"Tomorrow," the Ringmaster said.

 

"So, twins huh? Jonathan and Julia?"

 

"He's counting on them to develop their powers a bit early, maybe at around five years old."

 

"Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense, because of who he is, and the fact that he's working for Darkstar Corp."

 

"When did you develop your powers?"

 

"When I was about three and a half years old. How about you?"

 

"I developed my mindreading when I was in the first grade, but I didn't develop the rest of my powers until I was in the third grade."

 

"Did it totally freak you out, hearing thoughts that weren't yours?"

 

"Oh, yeah. Actually, that's what brought it to my parents' attention. I thought I was going crazy and needed to be put away. The first day it happened, I just froze up in the middle of the hallway and couldn't move. My teacher thought I was in shock, which probably wasn't far from the truth. My parents said I just needed some extra sleep, which sounded more realistic at the time. Back then, I thought only old people went into shock."

 

"You didn't tell them?"

 

"The second day I did. My parents had a big long talk with me about darkness and stuff. They helped me figure it out. They also taught me how to put up a block, which I haven't actually done now in nine years."

 

"Why not?"

 

"Because I didn't need to. I've been with Darkstar Corporations. I have friends here. My life is fine."

 

"I didn't bother putting up a block," said Harvey matter-of-factly. "It was fun reading my friends' minds, and my enemies' minds."

 

"Did you freak out the first time?" asked the Ringmaster curiously.

 

"Not really," said Harvey. "When I was about two years old, my dad explained to me all about darkness and powers and all that stuff, even though I didn't understand most of what he was saying at the time, but I understood the important part, which was when he told me not to freak out if some weird stuff started happening to me, because it was probably just my powers developing."

 

"Like hearing thoughts that weren't your own?"

 

"Exactly. I didn't freak out. I just went to my dad and explained the situation, and he said that I was right to come to him, because it  _was_ my powers coming in."

 

"And then what?"

 

"He taught me about the mindreading. How to put a block up, all about mind signals, and all that stuff."

 

"You didn't put up a block? Not even once?"

 

"Who needs to? Who would want to? My dad helped me figure out how to read only one mind at a time, so they weren't all coming at me at once. It took a lot of work, but once it was a skill that I'd mastered, I had a lot of fun reading everybody's minds."

 

Suddenly Harvey realized that everybody was paying attention to him, listening to his story.

 

"Wow, that's cool," said the Ringmaster.

 

The villains all nodded and voiced their agreement.

 

Then they were jolted when they heard someone knocking on the side of the wall, since there was no door. It was Twister.

 

"Ringmaster," she said. "Can I borrow you for a second?"

 

The Ringmaster looked around at everybody.

 

"You know you were invited to this party, right?" she asked.

 

"Not by him," said Twister.

 

"Well, I think you should join us," said Harvey. "I didn't know this was happening, and even if you had, I didn't think you would come."

 

"You can talk to me," said the Ringmaster finally, "but only if you come have some cake and ice cream with us."

 

Twister sighed. "Okay."

 

"Be right back." The girls disappeared.

 

"What about Lois Thomas?" asked Harvey. "Isn't he coming?"

 

"Lois and Twister are very close," Silver assured him. "Lois probably won't be far behind."

 

"What are they talking about?" asked Harvey.

 

"Don't worry," said Black Dawn quickly. "It's not about you. It's about a birthday party next week."

 

"Another party for me?" asked Harvey. "You guys shouldn't have!"

 

Everybody laughed. Then Twister and the Ringmaster came back.

 

"Okay, guys, cake time," said Silver. ""Dim the lights."

 

Black Dawn snapped her fingers, and the lights went off. Silver and Dark Mortimer brought the cake in, and everybody sang:

 

 

"Happy birthday to you,

 

Happy birthday to you,

 

Happy birthday, dear Harvey,

 

Happy birthday to you!"

 

 

Then everyone cheered and clapped. They all had cake and ice cream.

 

Then Mortimer said, "Okay, okay. Quiet, please. I'd like to propose a toast to friends, family, and to all of us here together for the biggest battle in villain history, and to the fact that Harvey is here with us, and will be helping us to be the very best we can be."

 

Everyone cheered and clinked their glasses. Twister muttered, "Humph," but clinked her glass anyway.

 

Then Dark Mortimer turned the music up.

 

Silver grabbed a camera and threw it to Mortimer.

 

"Okay!" cried Mortimer. "Everybody smile and say 'Party!'"

 

"PARTY!" yelled everybody.

 

Everyone stood beside each other. Harvey put one arm around the Ringmaster and the other around Black Dawn. The Ringmaster squealed, threw one arm around his waist, and tossed up the peace sign. Mortimer snapped the picture.

 

The Ringmaster reached up and tried to grab Harvey's hat, but Harvey restrained her. He grabbed her in a big bear hug with one arm. Click! Then he grabbed her hat off her head and gave her a noogie. Click! Click! Click! Mortimer kept taking pictures.

 

Twister tried to escape Harvey, but he grabbed her around the waist with one arm, and with his other hand, made bunny ears behind her hand. He peeked around her left side. Twister had her arms crossed and her tongue stuck out. Mortimer snapped a picture-click!-before it was too late.

 

Then Twister tried to grab Harvey's hat off his head, but Harvey grabbed her arm. Twister squirmed out of his grasp, then grabbed his hat and ran. Harvey caught her and made her sit on the floor, wrapping his arms and legs around her so that her arms were stuck. He took his hat back and put it on.

 

Twister attacked Harvey from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

 

"Would you like a piggyback ride?" asked Harvey with amusement in his eyes.

 

She tried to grab his hat again, but Harvey grabbed her and put her down, holding one of her arms up.

 

Harvey's friends, now almost doubled over with laughter, gave him the thumbs-up sign. Mortimer would not stop snapping pictures, so he had caught the whole thing on camera.

 

Twister, who had been getting more and more fed up this whole time, finally threw her hands up and stormed out of the kitchen, but not before flashing an icy look at the Ringmaster, who would not stop laughing and had given Harvey the thumbs-up sign numerous times.

 

The Ringmaster just looked back at her with innocent eyes and mouthed, "What?"

 

Twister couldn't help but smile. Then she left.

 

 _Everybody in this castle gets along so well,_ Harvey told Black Dawn.  _Especially Twister and the Ringmaster. It's hard to believe that friends that close would ever fight._

 

 _They do,_ Black Dawn replied.  _All the time. Everyone in this castle has had a fight at one time or another. You just haven't been here long enough to see anyone fight._

 

"Hey!" cried Mortimer, interrupting their conversation. "Put your arm around her and smile!"

 

Harvey grabbed the boss in a headlock, and the boss held up the rock and roll sign.

 

Mortimer snapped the picture.

 

Then Mortimer put the camera up on a stand so he could get in a picture, too. Harvey put one arm around each of the girls again. Black Dawn held up the rock and roll sign and the Ringmaster held up the peace sign. Mortimer made bunny ears behind the Ringmaster's head. The Silver Masquerade wrapped both of his arms around Black Dawn's neck.

 

Then "I Wanna Know What Love Is" came on, and the villains slow-danced together, Harvey dancing with the Ringmaster, the Silver Masquerade dancing with Black Dawn, and Mortimer danced with Twister, who'd been quietly watching from the sidelines.

 

The villains danced for a long time.

 

Harvey finally fell asleep at around midnight.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, are we on chapter 21 already? I didn't think i'd get here so fast!**

 

**I wish i had a dedication for someone, but...nobody commented...so....yeah.**

 

**first person to comment gets a dedication, so please comment.**

 

**< 3**


	22. Chapter 22-The Disappearing Brother: Act One

Harvey Wickston woke up with the biggest party hangover ever.

 

He tried to think. What had happened last night? He was having a hard time remembering.

 

He looked around his bedroom. There were streamers all around, on his floor, and even a few stuck to the ceiling. When he got up to go to the bathroom, streamers crunched underfoot.

 

He splashed his face with cold water, and was just heading out of the bathroom when he bumped into Dark Mortimer in the hall. He had a suitcase in his left hand.

 

“Harvey,” he said. “Good morning! How you doing?”

 

“Pretty good. Mind if I ask what’s in that suitcase?”

 

You can ask, but you won’t get an answer.” He laughed. “Just kidding. This is for you.”

 

He handed Harvey the suitcase. It was heavy.

 

“What’s in here?” asked Harvey. “A rock?”

 

“Your first paycheck.” He patted Harvey’s shoulder. “Way to go, buddy. Congrats.”

 

“Is this for taking care of Brandon over the weekend?”

 

“Yup. Oh, yeah, and we got you some breakfast.”

 

He handed Harvey a paper bag.

 

“McDonald’s? Thanks, Mortimer.”

 

“Hey, no problem.”

 

“Where’s the Ringmaster?”

 

“She and Black Dawn went out.”

 

“Where?”

 

“On personal business.”

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

“So don’t try and trace their mind signals.”

 

“I wasn’t planning to.” Harvey would’ve held up his hands up in self-defense, except he had things in both hands.

 

“Well, see you later,” said Mortimer.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

Mortimer laughed. “To the kitchen!”

 

“What happened last night?”

 

“You don’t remember?” He stuck a camera in Harvey’s paper bag. “Check out the pictures. They really came out great.”

 

Harvey headed back to his room. He put the paper bag on his bedside table and the suitcase on his bed. He opened it. It was stuffed almost to the top with money.

 

“Holy frigging whoa,” Harvey said quickly.

 

He had never seen that much money in one place at one time, except in the movies.

 

Harvey sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, thinking. Was there any logical or even sane explanation for this? His father had always said that there was a sane explanation for everything. Maybe he had not accounted for this.

 

Harvey got dressed as he thought about what sane explanation there could possibly be for this.

 

Well…the villains were very powerful. Black Dawn was certainly very powerful. Maybe the villains could materialize money out of thin air. Or maybe there was an endless money supply somewhere that Harvey did not know about. Perhaps a gift from the House of Villains.

 

Harvey shook his head, then put his fedora on. He remembered something else his father had said a lot:

 

“There is a sane explanation for everything, just not always logical and not always meant to be known by man.”

 

So perhaps if Harvey did not know about the secret stash-if one did exist-then probably he was not meant to know about it. He would ask the boss, if she even got back before he left.

 

Whenever his father had said that some things were not meant to be known by man, it had left Harvey in awe and wonder. His stupid twin, however, always said that their father was just using it as an excuse. That was when Harvey escaped into his room.

 

Harvey hated his brother. He has glad he’d been able to ditch Trey long ago. Neither of them knew where the other was, and that was just the way Harvey liked it.

 

Harvey had not destroyed the picture of him and his brother, but, after Lauren had mentioned it, he’d stuck it under his mattress. Hopefully he’d just forget about it, and if there was a fire, it would burn up.

 

He could find another picture for the front of his wallet. A better one. He turned the camera on.

 

Harvey had not seen Trey since the boys were eight years old. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

 

 

^^^

 

 

Harvey and his father sat beside each other in the front. Trey sat in the back, arms crossed, staring out the window. Just like always.

 

The radio was on loud, and both front windows were open. Harvey was playing air guitar, and he and his father were both singing.

 

The car was one of the new 1966 models.

 

Harvey’s father turned the radio down.

 

“Okay, okay,” he said. “Show me the face again.”

 

Harvey made a puppy-dog sad face.

 

“I-I killed him?” he squeaked. “I d-didn’t mean to! I’m s-sorry.”

 

“You totally sold it!” cried his father. “Even I bought it!”

 

Harvey giggled.

 

“For a second there, I thought you were actually sorry. I thought it really  _was_ an accident!” cried his father.

 

“Just putting on a show!” Young Harvey was very pleased with himself.

 

Harvey’s father ruffled his son’s hair, making Harvey giggle again.

 

 _I belong here,_ thought Harvey for the millionth time since he’d gotten his powers.  _I never want to be anywhere else. This is my place in the world._

 

 _I would never want to be anywhere else, either,_ his father thought right back.

 

His father bought him ice cream and an Xbox. But the best present Harvey received was the black fedora.

 

After they were home, and Trey had gone off to his room, Harvey sat down at the kitchen table with his father, who presented him with a box.

 

“What’s in it?” asked Harvey.

 

“Well, you’ll have to find out. Go ahead. Open it up.”

 

Harvey slipped the ribbon off it and opened it. He gasped, and then smiled.

 

“Dad!” he exclaimed.

 

“You did the family name proud today, son,” said his father. Then he placed the fedora on Harvey’s head. “Harvey, you really are a Wickston.”

 

“Wow,” breathed Harvey. He took the hat off and fingered it.

 

 _This is my favorite place in the world,_ he thought, as his father hugged him. Harvey hugged him back.

 

_Me too, son. Me, too._

 

Harvey barely slept that night. He was too excited. After punching that kid and “accidentally” killing him, he’d been suspended for two months. Tomorrow his suspension started. Harvey was very proud of himself. He had put together an excellent sob story, done a great job, and done the family proud.

 

Tomorrow, while his brother was at school, Harvey’s dad would be able to teach him all kinds of stuff that Trey wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole.

 

And he did. The next morning, after Trey was gone, Harvey’s father sat down with him, and said, “Harvey, I’m so proud of you! You did great. Now I can teach you something I’ve wanted to teach you for a while.”

 

“Why didn’t you just teach me back then?” asked Harvey curiously.

 

“Well, I had to wait until you made your first kill,” replied his father.

 

“Why?”

 

“There is a totally sane explanation for that, but it-“

 

“-should not be known by man,” finished Harvey.

 

“Right you are, son.” Then his father put a textbook on the table in front of him. “Now, you’ll probably be a little scared when you first get into this. I know I was. But the fear will pass.”

 

His father taught him about torture. But over the next 2 or 3 days, his father got woken up by pretty much everyone in the community.

 

Everywhere he went, he kept hearing the same things about Trey: that he wasn’t safe from Harvey, and that they had to send Trey away to keep him safe.

 

Finally, on Friday, he sat down with Harvey. Harvey opened his textbook, eager to jump right into it.

 

“Harvey, I want to talk about Trey for a minute.”

 

“Why?” whined Harvey.

 

“Relax. It’s okay. Harvey, do you think your brother’s becoming a liability?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I’m going to be blunt. He’s a disgrace to the family name, Harvey. I know you don’t like your brother. I read it every day in your thoughts.”

 

“Stay out of my head!” said Harvey, giggling. His father laughed, too.

 

Then his father said, “He’s holding us back, Harvey. He hates this villain stuff just as much as you love it. I say we get rid of him. Everybody says it’s the right thing to do. So I say we do it.”

 

“Okay.” Harvey high-fived his father.

 

The next day, they brought Trey to the adoption centre. Harvey hadn’t seen him since.

 

 

^^^

 

 

He didn’t worry about it too much. Probably wherever Trey was, he was missing Harvey just about as much as Harvey was missing him. Maybe less. Not that Harvey cared much whether or not Trey missed him.

 

Harvey started flipping through the pictures. He remembered having that fight with Twister. That made him laugh. The party pictures. Stuffing their faces with cake. It had been a fun party.

 

Then he shut off the camera and opened the paper bag. He was starving. He hadn’t had McDonald’s in over six months, which was probably-no, definitely-the longest he’d ever gone without McDonald’s.

 

The first bite of his breakfast was the best. It tasted amazing.

 

Then Harvey noticed a small bag on his bedside table. A small plastic bag with balloons on it. He took a peek inside. There was a pencil, an eraser, and some candy.

 

There was a note attached to it. It said:

 

_Harvey,_

 

 _You forgot your_   _loot bag._

 

_See you later,_

 

_Ringmaster._

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Looks like it's going to be a short chapter. So, what do you guys think happened to Harvey's brother? Second, what do you think the Ringmaster and Black Dawn are looking for?**


	23. Chapter 23-The Protector

“Where are you going?” Mortimer asked, catching Harvey in the hallway yet again.

 

“Where are  _you_ going?” Harvey asked.

 

“To the bathroom. Is that such a crime?”

 

“Not really. I mean, maybe. A little. But I’m not the police. Anyways, I’m going home.”

 

“Time to face your girlfriend, huh?”

 

“Yeah. Except she’s not really my girlfriend.”

 

“I don’t get it. Why are you faking it?”

 

“You mean my relationship? It’s in the handbook. No emotional attachment. See you later, Mortimer.”

 

“Harvey-“

 

“Tell Black Dawn and the Ringmaster I said bye.” He disappeared around the corner.

 

Mortimer followed him. “Harvey.”

 

“Yeah, what’s up?”

 

“We put a radio in your car, so you can get in and out.”

 

“And ask you guys to open the drawbridge?”

 

“Exactly.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“See ya round, buddy.” They slapped their hands into each other’s, then Mortimer disappeared into the castle.

 

Harvey put the suitcase in the back of his truck, then put a blanket over it. There was no way he was going to get that past Lauren without her noticing.

 

Then she would want to know what was in it. If he said nothing, she would think that he was hiding something from her, which he was, but that wasn’t the point.

 

He would sneak it upstairs when she was gone, and hide it in the attic or something. He got in the car and buckled up. Sure enough, there was a black two-way radio in a little cradle attached to his truck, right on the dashboard.

 

Harvey smiled to himself. As he drove home, he thought about Darkstar Corporations. They could really change his life, all the people at Darkstar Corp. They already sort of had. How long would he have to stay that they would make a big enough impact on him that he would consider staying after the fight?

 

Harvey turned on a CD so he wouldn’t have to think anymore. He sang along to Andrew W.K. as he thought about how good it would be to be home.

 

 

^^^

 

 

“Did you find it?” asked Mortimer as the Ringmaster and Black Dawn came back into the castle, bringing a warm June breeze with them.

 

“Not yet,” said the Ringmaster.

 

“But we will,” added Black Dawn, determined to remain optimistic. “It’s only been two hours.”

 

“Well, you guys can look again later.” Mortimer shrugged. “No big deal, right? By the way, Harvey left. He went home to face his girlfriend.”

 

“Aw, already?” asked the Ringmaster. “He’s only been here five days.”

 

“Relax, I’m sure he’s not gone for good,” the boss jumped in quickly. “He promised he’d fight with us.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Mortimer assured her. “He’s coming back. He told me so. He’s gonna be in and out for the next several months.” He smiled. “You’ll see him again.”

 

 

^^^

 

 

Harvey turned down the volume on his radio as he pulled up to his house. He turned it off when he saw Lauren sitting on the front porch. How long had she been sitting there, waiting for him?

 

Lauren rushed up to his truck. Harvey threw open the passenger door, and Lauren threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, kneeling on the seat. Harvey kissed her back.

 

 _Wow, didn’t expect that,_ he thought. He had expected her to be furious with him! Why wasn’t she? He sensed something was wrong.

 

Especially when she buckled herself into the front seat and said, “Can you just drive, Cooper, please? Please, can we get out of here? Can we just go somewhere?”

 

“Yeah, definitely,” said Harvey, trying to remain calm and cool, but he sensed an urgency, as though Lauren wanted to get away from something, or maybe…someone?

 

As Harvey drove, he thought. Was he reading the signs wrong? Was it possible he was missing something? Was there perhaps some piece of information he already had that he was overlooking?

 

Lauren stared out the window, her arms crossed. She reminded Harvey of Trey.

 

“You still have your gun, right?” she asked.

 

“Yes,” said Harvey, trying to seem nonchalant. Unless Lauren wanted him to panic. Maybe she would be like Twister, raging that he could be so calm considering the situation. He wished he knew, but he couldn’t read her mind. Well, he could, but he just got a black screen. He sensed it was because she was trying not to think right now.

 

Why didn’t she want to think? What was it that she didn’t want to think about? Why wasn’t she mad at Harvey? Why had she checked to make sure he had his gun? What could possibly get Lauren this worked up? Unless it was about the killer again; this seemed a very likely possibility at this point. But should he even bring it up? Should he say something? Or should he just leave it?

 

Patience was a virtue. She’d tell him eventually, if she wanted him to know. And if she didn’t, he wouldn’t try to find out.

 

Finally he decided to try. Often she waited for him to say something first, especially when it was a serious situation.

 

“This is about the killer, isn’t it?” he asked slowly.

 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” said Lauren quietly. “At least, not here.”

 

“Okay,” said Harvey. “That’s fine. Whenever you’re ready. Where are we going?”

 

“To a hotel in Ottawa.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Why’s it so quiet in here?”

 

“Want me to turn the radio on?”

 

“Yes, please.”

 

Harvey turned on the radio. Last Christmas started playing. Lauren started singing along, so Harvey did, too.

 

After Last Christmas was over, another song started playing. Harvey didn’t know the words to this song, but he recognized the tune.

 

“Who’s this?” asked Lauren.

 

“Boyz 2 Men,” replied Harvey.

 

“How did you know?”

 

Harvey shrugged.

 

“Cooper,” said Lauren quietly. “Where’ve you been?”

 

“I’ve been taking care of some things.” Harvey didn’t know what else to say, but he didn’t hesitate because he didn’t want to seem suspicious. He knew it probably wouldn’t work. He knew Lauren would probably be angry and suspicious anyway. Hell, she might even break up with him! Not that he cared.

 

“Oh. Frank said it was confidential.”

 

“It is. I hope you understand.”

 

Lauren started laughing. “Cooper!” she cried. “Of  _course_ I understand! Why wouldn’t I?” She reached out and held his hand. “Cooper, you must be losing your faith. Or your mind.”

 

They both laughed.

 

Harvey looked over at his girlfriend.

 

 _Don’t be a dope!_ Squealed the Ringmaster in his head.  _Keep your eyes on the road! No emotional attachment, remember?_

 

That startled Harvey so much that he narrowly avoided a car crash.

 

“Geez, Coop!” cried Lauren.

 

“Sorry.”  _Stay out of my head when I’m driving! And I’m NOT getting emotionally attached!_

 

Lauren started laughing. So did Harvey. He pulled over to the side of the road.

 

 _Well, KISS her!_ urged the Ringmaster.

 

Harvey didn’t even have time to respond. Lauren pushed his mouth against hers.

 

Back at the villains’ castle, Harvey’s friends were all smiling, watching Harvey and Lauren kiss through the monitor system.

 

 

^^^

 

 

“I think Harvey is breaking one of his own rules,” the Ringmaster announced as she made herself a sandwich.

 

“You mean the emotional attachment rule?” questioned Dark Mortimer.

 

“Yeah. You saw how he is when he’s with Lauren.”

 

“That doesn’t mean anything. Harvey is a really good actor.”

 

“You haven’t known him long enough to know that you know that’s true.”

 

“You haven’t known him long enough to know that you know that’s not true.”

 

“True,” said the Ringmaster.

 

Then they both said “Huh?” and burst out laughing.

 

Then Mortimer said, “I do know Harvey is too good a villain to not get emotionally attached. He knows better than that. We should have some faith in him that he’d never let that happen. I think everything he shows, everything he does, isn’t real. He’s just a really good actor.”

 

 _Exactly,_ Harvey thought in their heads.

 

“See?” said Mortimer.

 

 _Sorry, Harvey,_ said the Ringmaster.

 

Harvey chuckled in her head.  _You’ve got to have a little faith. You didn’t really think I’d get emotionally attached, did you?_

 

The Ringmaster giggled.  _No, of course not._

 

_Good. See you soon._

 

_You, too. Oh, Harvey!_

 

_Yeah, what’s up?_

 

“Come on,” interrupted Mortimer. “Are we going to the game room or not?”

 

_What is it, Ringmaster?_

 

“Come on.” Mortimer grabbed her hand.

 

 _Er, gotta go,_ said the Ringmaster, then went with Mortimer to beat him at another game of pool.

 

 _Ringmaster?_ Asked Harvey.  _Ringmaster! Where’d you go?_

 

But she didn’t answer.

 

 

^^^

 

 

They arrived at the hotel at about one in the afternoon.

 

Three hours wasn’t bad, especially considering they had stopped off at the gas station for snacks, and, of course, stopped to kiss in the car.

 

They checked into a non-smoking room, and when they were safely in their room with the door closed, the first thing Lauren said was, “I’m never going back to that town!”

 

Then she burst into tears on the bed. Harvey wrapped his arms around her and started humming lullabies, songs that mothers might sing to their newborn babies to put them to sleep. She just cried and cried.

 

Then she said gently, “Cooper, I thought you were dead. When Frank drove up in front of your house, I was hoping and praying that it was good news, and that they hadn’t found your dead body in the old bowling alley.”

 

“Oh, honey!” Harvey looked close to tears, but it was really all just an act. He kissed her again. “I promise I’ll never worry you like that again.”

 

“Are you mad at me?”

 

“What? Of course not. Why in the world would I be mad at you?”

 

“For crying so much, especially over such a little thing.”

 

“Thinking I’m dead is not a little thing! It’s my fault, and it won’t happen again.”

 

“But you could have really been dead,” Lauren said matter-of-factly.

 

“I can’t believe you don’t have enough faith in me to trust that I can keep myself alive,” Harvey said in a teasing tone. “You must be losing your mind.”

 

Lauren smiled through her tears. “That’s my choice line!” she giggled.

 

“I’m your boyfriend, so I get first dibs on all your lines.”

 

“Oh, really?” asked Lauren. “How about this one-?”

 

“I love you, Lauren,” Harvey said, before she even said it.

 

“Hey!” Lauren hit him with a pillow.

 

Then she dried her tears and told Harvey all about the encounter with the Darkstar Corp. agents, Twister and Lois Thomas. She said nothing about the romantic fling she’d had with Lois, however, or the fact that she’d jumped into the conversation. She told him what had happened and how scared she had been. Harvey comforted her.

 

Lauren was not acting. She was still half scared of Lois. She didn’t really know what was going on yet. Maybe he wanted her phone number so he could torment her, and this was his plan to get it. She couldn’t tell. She didn’t really know all the inns and outs of Darkstar Corp. She didn’t know how it worked. Any of it. Truthfully, she had never cared up until now. She only knew that Twister and Lois Thomas were members of Darkstar Corp. She had heard it from one of her former boyfriends, Jared, who apparently had found Darkstar Corp. a fascinating dinner topic. Gag. Now, looking back, she decided that perhaps she should’ve listened.

 

Hmmm. Maybe there was a way that she could get back in touch with Jared.  _There_ was a light bulb. She could find a way to contact him! She could look in the library first, she decided, although she highly doubted there’d be any information there. For a company that seemed to want to be known by pretty much the entire world, they sure were kept a pretty big secret when it came to getting information. It was almost as if people only knew the information that the company wanted them to know.

 

Harvey was still humming, but Lauren was so deep in thought that she barely noticed. He did not intrude on her thoughts. If Lauren wanted him to know, she would tell him. When she was done thinking and had made her decision, she turned back to her boyfriend.

 

Lauren looked at Harvey for a minute with a look of pure amusement on her face.

 

“What?” asked Harvey.

 

Lauren giggled. “Get that song stuck in your head, did you?”

 

“Huh?” asked Harvey, then said, “Oh!” as realization came. He was singing Boyz 2 Men. “I guess so.” He smiled down at Lauren.  _Thanks a lot, Ringmaster,_ he teased her, if she was still listening.

 

Lauren giggled. “You have a streamer on your hat. Did you have a party?”

 

She sounded curious and interested, but not suspicious and certainly not angry. She looked amused.

 

“Yeah, my new friends had a party for me,” admitted Harvey.

 

“Oh, so you were hanging with friends!” teased Lauren, her eyes twinkling. “I thought you were taking care of business!”

 

It was Harvey’s turn to throw a pillow at Lauren, then he added, “It wasn’t anything big. Just some dancing and some cake.”

 

“Dancing?” gasped Lauren, amusement in her eyes and her voice. “You cheater!”

 

Lauren would never seriously accuse Harvey of cheating unless she knew it was really happening, and everything. She sometimes joked about it, though.

 

“Care to tell me what you were thinking about a minute ago?” asked Harvey, who didn’t expect her to actually tell him.

 

“Just…Darkstar Corp.” Lauren shrugged.

 

“Oh,” said Harvey in surprise.

 

“Cooper, is it really as terrible there as everyone says it is? I mean, are the people there really as awful as everyone seems to think?”

 

Harvey thought for a minute about everyone at Darkstar Corp. The Ringmaster, Black Dawn, Dark Mortimer…

 

Finally he said, “Really, Lauren, I wouldn’t know. I think you’re asking the wrong person. I don’t know much about them, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

 

Wow, he was good! That really sounded like something Cooper would say.

 

“Can we order room service?” asked Lauren. “I’m hungry.”

 

Harvey maxed out his wallet and they stuffed themselves with cupcakes and chocolate and popcorn and cheeseburgers and pizza and fries and hot dogs, watching horror movies long into the night.

 

Harvey sang Lauren to sleep. Then he kissed her cheek, said, “Good night, Lauren,” and turned out the light.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ah, so what do you guys think is going to happen now that Harvey is back home where he belongs....i think.**

 

**And is he going to come back to darkstar corp? What do you think?**

 

**the end??**


	24. Chapter 24-The Marriage Proposal

“I hate you!” 17-year old Harriet Whitaker yelled at her parents, then ran into her room and slammed the door.

 

She couldn’t believe her parents wouldn’t let her go to the theatre. She’d worked every angle, including the “All my friends are going,” to which her parents had answered back with a classic line:

 

“If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?”

 

Harriet had argued that a bridge and a concert were two different things.

 

Harriet jumped up off her bed. She was not going to sit around sulking and moping. No. Not this time. She was not going to cry herself to sleep another night. She was seventeen years old! She was going to that play.

 

Young Harriet began to think logically. She had almost 2 hours until the play started. She had about $6.87 saved up from her many weeks of allowance, allowance which she’d been saving for this particular day. Tickets cost $3.50, which meant she’d have just over $2.00 left over candy.

 

The theatre was about an hour away. The sweet shop was only about half an hour away. That was on foot, so if she left now, she’d have extra time to make a side stop at the sweet shop.

 

Problem. They were in two different directions. Harriet thought it over. That was only an hour and a half. She had some time.

 

Harriet brought an empty bag, her money, her favorite hat, and her jacket. Then she climbed down a tree outside her window.

 

Harriet hesitated for a moment, and just stood at the threshold that the grass laid out in front of her. Then she took a deep breath, lifted up her foot, and took the first step towards freedom.

 

 

^^^

 

 

Harvey dreamt about Brandon. His memory of Brandon, he found, was slightly more vivid than any of his former victims, and Harvey was pretty sure he knew why. Half the thrill, he thought, was knowing that his friends were watching him. Maybe it was just the excitement of having someone to share the excitement with. For Harvey, it had been like killing Sam Graith all over again, knowing his father was watching him through cameras in the warehouse.

 

Naturally, Brandon had begged to die more than once during the torture, and Harvey had, naturally, hushed him with gentle words and soft tones. Harvey got excited thinking about how scared Brandon had been, how much he’d screamed.

 

Harvey realized he’d just been piling on random torture techniques with Brandon. Usually he escalated, so that, just when his victims thought the worst was over, the truth was that something worse was coming.

 

Harvey was flipping chocolate chip pancakes when Lauren woke up. She got dressed, then found Harvey in the kitchen.

 

“Good morning,” Harvey said cheerfully.

 

“Morning, Coop.”

 

They kissed each other.

 

“Join me for breakfast?” offered Harvey.

 

“I gotta go to the bathroom, but I would love to afterwards,” said Lauren, then went into the bathroom and closed the door.

 

She fingered the small box in her pocket. This was going to take a lot of courage.

 

 _What are you nervous for?_ She thought.  _You love him, Lauren. Just tell him how you feel, and then pop the question on him._

 

Her heart sped up, and she looked at the floor as she began to have second thoughts.  _Maybe I shouldn’t do this. Maybe the fact that he hasn’t asked you should be a giant red flag. Maybe he doesn’t love me like I love him. Maybe he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life with me like I do with him._

 

Lauren began to consider the alternative: Being with Cooper for a while, until he broke up with her, being head over heels in love with him, knowing he didn’t feel the same way about her.

 

Then she thought about another option: She could break up with him. Being broken-hearted, upset, sad, miserable, wanting to die, trying to get over him. She loved Cooper like she had never loved anyone before. So why was she considering breaking up with him?

 

Lauren realized she was crying. Then Harvey knocked on the door, making Lauren jump.

 

“You okay in there, honey?” he asked.

 

“Yeah! Be right out!” called Lauren, but her voice broke twice.

 

Harvey sensed something very wrong. Why was Lauren so upset?

 

 _She’s thinking about breaking up with you,_ the Ringmaster warned him.  _Do something!_

 

Harvey thought for a second. Maybe it was time to end this charade.

 

Lauren took a deep breath. No. She was going through with this.

 

Harvey was reading her thoughts. He served up breakfast as he decided that he would say yes to her marriage proposal.

 

 _Okay, here goes,_ thought Lauren.  _I’m going to do this, and I’m not going back. I’m really going to ask him!_

 

Then she came out of the bathroom and the two of them sat down to breakfast.

 

“Cooper,” said Lauren. “I wanted to ask you something.”

 

“Okay, go ahead.” Harvey looked up from his pancakes.

 

Lauren got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and asked, “Cooper, will you marry me?”

 

“Yes,” said Harvey without hesitation.

 

“Really?” asked Lauren. “I was afraid you’d say no. I mean, this is a big step in our relationship.”

 

“I think we’re ready.”

 

Lauren was crying, she was so happy. “I love you, Cooper, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

 

“Yeah, me, too.”

 

Then before he could say anything else, Lauren pulled him into an embrace and kissed him.

 

 

^^^

 

 

“When you’re sliding into first,

 

And you’re feeling something burst,

 

Diarrhea, diarrhea!

 

When you’re sliding into third,

 

And you lay a juicy turd,

 

Diarrhea, diarrhea!

 

When you’re sliding into home,

 

And your pants are full of foam,

 

Diarrhea, diarrhea!

 

When you’re sitting in your Chevy,

 

And your shorts are feeling heavy,

 

Diarrhea, diarrhea!”

 

Lauren and Harvey were practically screaming with laughter as they sang that song.

 

“Hey, I’ve got a good one,” said Harvey.

 

“Okay,” said Lauren through her giggles, “but keep your eyes on the road this time.”

 

They had already narrowly avoided one car crash that morning.

 

“When you’re sitting in your truck,

 

And your pants are full of muck,

 

Diarrhea, diarrhea!”

 

This made Lauren laugh so hard that tears rolled down her face.

 

Harvey turned the radio on, and they both sang along to Born to Be Wild.

 

Harvey had convinced Lauren to come back to Almonte with him. He had convinced her that he would protect her.

 

Everything was perfect.

 

 

^^^

 

 

“We’ve been driving around for an hour,” complained the Ringmaster. “We’re  _never_ going to find this place.”

 

“Relax,” said Black Dawn. “Be optimistic. It has to exist. You heard the way Harvey talked about it.”

 

“But he didn’t say where it is, so let’s ask him.”

 

“We can’t ask Harvey,” Black Dawn reminded her. “Then he’ll know what we’re doing. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

 

“What if it’s been torn down?”

 

“I’m getting really sick of hearing you complain, so keep it in your head.”

 

The Ringmaster sighed. “Can we at least get some food? I’m really hungry.”

 

“Yeah, I am kinda hungry. We’ll get McDonald’s.”

 

“There’s one! Turn right here.”

 

“Okay, relax.”

 

Black Dawn turned right and found the McDonald’s. It was 9:15, so they ordered egg mcmuffins and hash browns to take with them.

 

The Ringmaster ate hers in the car, as they drove out of their way through the back roads and highways, looking for the warehouse that Harvey had mentioned the other day.

 

The Ringmaster was not very optimistic as they went on this journey through the city for the second morning in a row. She highly doubted they would ever know this place. For the second morning, she expected it to be as equally boring a drive as the first. Yesterday they had searched for over 2 hours and hadn’t found the place. The Ringmaster just ate her hashbrown and stared out the window as complete and utter boredom set in.

 

_Look at this. Nothing but trees and rocks and bushes and some old, abandoned buildings-_

 

“Look!” cried the Ringmaster. “We can look in there!”

 

Black Dawn looked over. “Whoa!” she breathed.

 

There were a whole bunch of very old, very abandoned-looking buildings. Black Dawn doubted that anyone had been in any of them for a long time except for maybe-

 

“Harvey,” both the girls breathed together, and as Black Dawn pulled into the area, they realized they had not seen one car or house for miles.

 

This area had Harvey Wickston written all over it. Nobody would be heard screaming out here, in the middle of nowhere. As bright as the sun was, shining right in through the windshield, with not a cloud in the sky, there was something unmistakably dark and evil about this place.

 

They had to park on the grass. There was not a single parking lot in the area, not even a dirt road. The girls had brought flashlights, assuming that the warehouse would not have electricity.

 

The Ringmaster and Black Dawn, especially the Ringmaster, decided they really wanted to look around. Their curiosity kicked in. They did not forget about the warehouse, but they had to check out the area. Curiosity got the better of the girls.

 

The Ringmaster was a little scared, but did not admit it to Black Dawn. The girls turned on their flashlights, despite the morning sun. Despite the warm breeze they were welcomed by, a chill ran down the Ringmaster’s spine. Her heart sped up a bit, but she took a deep breath.

 

It was too quiet. An eerie silence surrounded the girls. The Ringmaster felt like she should say something to fill the silence. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

 

 _I’m not scared, I’m not scared, I’m not scared,_ thought the Ringmaster.

 

Then she cleared her throat and Black Dawn jumped and almost dropped her flashlight.

 

“Geez!” cried the boss, then started laughing. The Ringmaster saw the funny side of the situation and joined in. Then the girls composed themselves and got going again.

 

The Ringmaster gulped quietly. She shivered, despite the warm day. Maybe this was a bad idea. But her curiosity overpowered her fear.

 

“Okay,” said Black Dawn. “I’m gonna go look over there. You check out this area, okay?”

 

The Ringmaster nodded, mostly because she didn’t trust her voice. Black Dawn walked away across the field.

 

Once again, curiosity trumped fear. The Ringmaster walked over to one of the buildings, a really old one, and shone her flashlight inside, partly because she didn’t trust the place to have electricity, and partly because she didn’t trust her beating heart to slow long enough for her to search for a light switch.

 

If for no other reason than to prove to herself that there was nothing to be scared of, she shined her flashlight inside the building.

 

The Ringmaster’s heart skipped a beat. She took a step backward, and dropped her flashlight, which broke. She couldn’t even bite her tongue fast enough.

 

She screamed.

 

 

^^^

 

 

Harvey and Lauren were at home playing Mario Kart. Lauren was winning this time.

 

“Blue turtle,” Harvey warned her.

 

“Shoot,” muttered Lauren. “Who threw that?”

 

“Toad.”

 

“You’re gonna get it, Toad,” said Lauren. “Next race you’re gonna get it. You’re on my hit list. You’ll be the first to go.”

 

“Lauren, please.”

 

“Oh, right! Almonte. Killer.”

 

“Lauren!”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“And you’re the one who’s scared.”

 

Then Harvey’s phone rang. Harvey sighed, then reached into his pocket. But it was the other one.

 

“What the…?” asked Lauren, when he took the phone from out of his pocket.

 

“Sorry, honey,” said Harvey. “Business call. Gotta take it outside.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Harvey answered his phone as he went out the back door.

 

“Hello?”

 

“I’m watching you,” said a very eerie-sounding voice.

 

“I know it’s you, Mortimer. And you don’t scare me.”

 

“Seriously, I can see you,” said Mortimer. “I’m watching you from the monitor system.”

 

“Oh, you can see me right now?”

 

Nobody was driving by, so Harvey stuck out the middle finger.

 

“Wow. Real mature, Harvey. Yeah. That is so not funny.”

 

“What do you want, Mortimer?”

 

“Can’t I just call to say hi?”

 

“No, you can’t.”

 

Mortimer made a whiny sound.

 

“Hey, Mortimer. Nobody acts better than me,” Harvey reminded him. “Okay? I know that’s fake. You’re a terrible actor.”

 

“Nuts.”

 

“Look, I’ll see you later, okay?” He hung up, then went back inside.

 

“God, these guys won’t leave me alone.”

 

“What do you mean, they won’t leave you alone? This is the first time they’ve called you,” said Lauren, smiling.

 

“Yeah, but I just saw them yesterday morning. Apparently they were just calling to say hi.”

 

“So, this wouldn’t happen to be the same ‘business’ that threw you a party the other day, would it?” asked Lauren, her words laced with teasing suspicion.

 

“Maybe,” said Harvey with a chuckle.

 

“Can I see that phone for a sec?” asked Lauren.

 

Harvey handed it to her.

 

“This is so cool!” said Lauren. “Where can I get one?” she wondered.

 

“I can get you one,” said Harvey. “It’s from my friends. It’s a test model.”

 

“Wait, why are you getting business calls all of a sudden? You run a convenience store.”

 

“I partnered up with another business recently.” Harvey said the words as Mortimer thought them.

 

“What?” exclaimed Lauren. “You did? When?”

 

“Just a few days ago.”

 

“Oh, my gosh! Cooper!”

 

“Surprise!”

 

“We’ve gotta take you out to celebrate. This is so exciting!”

 

“Yeah, I know. I mean, I was gonna wait till tonight to spring it on you, but you were asking, and I couldn’t wait…!”

 

Lauren threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

 

“I get paid a lot of money,” Harvey told her, then added, “But it does mean I’m going to be busier and I won’t be able to spend all the time in the world with you like I’ve been doing.”

 

“That’s okay, Cooper, I mean, it’s more than okay, it’s  _great!”_

 

She kissed him again.

 

“Oh, my gosh! Just sit right here. I’m gonna go call Frank and Tom and then we can go out and celebrate, okay?”

 

“Okay!” said Harvey, with an equal amount of excitement. “Let’s do it!”

 

Frank and Tom were over in twenty minutes, and the four of them sang the diarrhea song on the way to the Keg.

 

Harvey treated them all to a fancy dinner.

 

“Hey, Lauren, remember that we came here two years ago, on our first date?”

 

“Yes,” said Lauren. “I remember.”

 

“By the way,” said Harvey, raising his glass, “this party to celebrate my partnership is also an engagement party.”

 

The boys both smiled. “No way!” said Frank.

 

“Yes, way.”

 

“You proposed?”

 

“She did. I just said yes.”

 

“Wow, that’s awesome!” cried Frank.

 

“Congrats, buddy,” added Tom.

 

Harvey raised his glass. “I propose a toast, to friends, family, and the love of my life.”

 

Everybody clinked their glasses.

 

“So, did you offer?” asked Tom, as he cut his steak.

 

“Did I offer what? Oh, the business! No, they asked, and I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’”

 

“This is really great!” said Lauren, bouncing up and down in her seat.

 

“I know,” said Harvey with a smile.

 

 

^^^

 

 

Black Dawn didn’t come running. Good. The Ringmaster didn’t want her to know how scared she was.

 

She would’ve picked up the flashlight, except that it was broken, and her eyes were starting to adjust to the gloom. The Ringmaster leaned against the door, keeping it open so it wouldn’t slam on her like in horror movies. The last thing she needed was to be locked in an old building with a dead body.

 

As the Ringmaster surveyed the carnage, she realized that it was once again a mix of fear and excitement. She also realized it was getting dark and gloomy outside. She half-smiled to herself.

 

Wow. Harvey hadn’t been kidding when he talked about the kill. Surveying the wreckage, the dead body that had never been found, the Ringmaster knew that it had been done by someone who knew how to draw it out, to make it last. To make it hurt.

 

The Ringmaster had only one person in mind. Harvey did not joke around when it came to the kill. Even though he thoroughly enjoyed himself, he was very serious about his work, more serious than the Ringmaster ever could have imagined.

 

She had a sudden thought. Harvey was obsessed with his work. She thought about Brandon again, and Emily Rose. She had seen his passion. Perhaps he was too obsessed with his work. He did not survey anything else with nearly as much passion and excitement. Perhaps Harvey just needed someone to teach him how to loosen up, to have fun. The Ringmaster mulled this over.

 

Then she was interrupted by Black Dawn.  _Hey, Ringmaster! Come and check this out!_

 

The Ringmaster shook her head, then sprinted across the field to meet her friend.

 

 

^^^

 

 

Frank laughed. “By the way, I got fired again.”

 

“What?” Harvey turned to Frank. “Why’d you get fired, pal?”

 

“They found out about our conversation.”

 

“So you got fired because of me?”

 

“No. Of course not. Cooper, it was not your fault, okay?”

 

“But it was. You know, the other times you could blame your boss, but this time you can blame me.”

 

“Cooper, please stop!” begged Frank. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” He smiled. “My boss was an idiot.”

 

“Your boss was a moron,” said Harvey, chuckling. He took a drink of root beer.

 

“So, what about this company you partnered up with?” asked Frank.

 

“I get larger paychecks and it’s longer hours.”

 

“Righteous,” said Frank.

 

“Very righteous,” added Tom.

 

“Cooper!” cried Lauren happily. “You’re the best!” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

 

Their kiss was accompanied by a snicker from Tom.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. i hope you guys enjoy reading it. The next chapter is a very important and pivotal point in the story. Btw, it's my birthday today, and i am now 18 years old. Many thanks to all my past, present, and future readers. Your support is very much appreciated!**

 

**< 3**

 

**(This chapter was originally written three years ago. My birthday is on July 13, 1994, and now I am 21.)**

My 22nd birthday is in 10 days as I am writing this.


	25. Chapter 25-The Power

The Ringmaster followed Black Dawn’s mind signal all the way to a huge warehouse. She knocked on the door.

When Black Dawn answered, the Ringmaster said, “Black Dawn.”

“Oh, good, you’re here.”

“Black Dawn.”

“Where’s your flashlight?”

“It-“

“Never mind.” She grabbed the Ringmaster’s sleeve. “Come on, we’ve got a lot to do.” Black Dawn pulled the Ringmaster into the warehouse.

The Ringmaster cleared her throat and tried again. “Yes, I know, but-“

“Hold this.” Black Dawn handed her one end of a roll of tape measure, and she held it. “Perfect.” Black Dawn stretched it out. “Right there.” She stopped and looked up and down.

“Black Dawn-“

“We can put the TV right there.”

“Okay, but-“

“No ifs, ands, or buts, amigo. We’ve got work to do.”

“Yeah, it’s just that-“

“Not now. I’m gonna go to the electronics store. You stay right here. Okay? I won’t be long.”

“Fine.” The Ringmaster sighed.

“Good. Make sure nobody gets in and finds us. It’s supposed to be a surprise. I’ll be back soon. And put a block on. We don’t want Harvey to find us through our thoughts.”

“I don’t think Harvey would try to-“

“Ringmaster-“

“Okay, I’m blocking, I’m blocking.”

“Perfect.” Black Dawn gave her a thumbs-up sign. See you later.”

The Ringmaster reluctantly gave Black dawn the thumbs-up sign back, and then she disappeared and the Ringmaster was left alone.

 

^^^

 

Harvey’s phone rang again. He expected that Dark Mortimer was calling him again. Was he just trying to bug Harvey? He wasn’t. It was Harvey’s normal phone this time.

“Hello?” said Harvey.

“Hi, Cooper.”

“Jack! Nice to hear your voice again.”

“You, too.” Harvey motioned to Lauren that he had to take this call in private. Lauren nodded and disappeared.

“If I’m alone at home, can I call you Harvey?” asked Jack.

“Of course!” Harvey chuckled. “By the way, I forgot to call Paul.”

“Who’s Paul?”

Harvey laughed. “I told you I’d hook you up.”

It was Jack’s turn to laugh. “You know I was joking about that, right?”

Harvey looked puzzled. “You were?”

“Of course. I don’t really take drugs, not normally, anyway. It was for my friend’s engagement party.”

“Really? Which friend?”

“David. David Locksworth. He got engaged to his girlfriend, Emily.”

“Wow! Well, tell him congratulations!”

“Thanks. I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. So, how are you doing?”

“I actually just got engaged this morning. To Lauren.”

“Wow, no kidding!”

“No kidding.”

“Well, congrats, man. She knows you’re an insane killer yet?”

“Very funny, Jack.”

“Anyway, I was thinking maybe I could come over someday. I’d really like to get to know you and your future wife better.”

“Yeah, definitely! We could set something up. You wanna come over and hang out this weekend?”

“Yeah, we can do it on Saturday. What time should I come over?”

Harvey checked his watch. It was broken. “Anytime,” he replied, and thought that he should get his watch fixed in the next day or two.

The boys continued talking for a few minutes, chatting about weather and sports and various subjects. Harvey talked about Lauren, and Jack talked about this internet dating thing he was doing that wasn’t really working out.

Harvey assured him that things would get better. He’d find someone.

When Harvey hung up, he went looking for Lauren.

“Hi,” said Lauren. “Was that a business call?”

“Boy talk,” Harvey said. “But not a business call. Just a friend, Jack.”

“The guy from the jail?”

“Yeah.”

“So how’s he doing?”

“Great. He’s trying an internet dating thing.”

“How’s that working out?”

“Not so good.”

“So what were you guys talking about?”

“Weather, sports, what we’re having for dinner. I told him we were getting engaged and he said congratulations.”

“Aw, that was nice of him.”

“He’s coming over on Saturday, okay?”

“Okay, cool.” Lauren pulled Harvey forward and kissed him again. “We should order pizza for dinner. Unless you want to go out.”

“Not in this weather,” said Harvey, staring out at the dark clouds. There was a storm coming, he could tell. Despite storms being perfect horror movie weather, Harvey hated them. They put him in a bad mood.

“Well, it’s only 2:00,” said Lauren, glancing at Harvey’s watch. “Maybe it’ll clear up and we’ll change our minds. Or maybe it’ll just pass right over us.”

“I don’t think it will,” said Harvey. “Besides, my watch is broken. It’s been a couple of hours; it’s probably 4:00 by now.”

“Aw, don’t get all grumpy just because of the bad weather,” said Lauren, who could feel his bad mood coming on with the storm.

Harvey just muttered, “Hmmph. I hate storms.”

“But it’s perfect horror movie weather,” said Lauren.

“Hmmph,” said Harvey again.

Lauren started laughing. Then she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Harvey thought Lauren was going to kiss him, but she surprised him when she reached around him, grabbed his hat, and ran off.

Harvey laughed, too. “Hey! Come back!” he called after her.

He chased after her, picked her up and spun her around, and grabbed his hat back. When it was safely on his head, they kissed each other.

 

^^^

 

The Ringmaster looked around. She was all alone in the warehouse. There were no dead bodies here, but there was a message in blood written on the wall:

JUST TRY AND SAVE THEM!

The Ringmaster smiled. No doubt that was from Harvey. The Ringmaster sighed. The place was so quiet you could’ve heard a pin drop. The silence scared her. She needed music.

There was a CD player unplugged, sitting in the corner. The Ringmaster plugged it in and popped it open. Inside was a CD. It said “Ryan’s Mix” on it. Ryan’s mix?

“No way,” breathed the Ringmaster, and jumped at how loud her voice sounded in the silence. Then she laughed at her own stupidness and put on the CD. She recognized Elvis right away. She turned the music up until it was blaring.

“You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog,

Crying all the time,

You ain’t ever caught a rabbit,

Then you ain’t no friend of mine!” she sang.

Then she played air guitar along with the music. The Ringmaster decided to take a look around. She wandered around.

The Ringmaster found an old rotted chair. It was facing the wrong way. She sat down on it, the way Harvey always sat. She felt nothing, except bored.

She got up and took a closer look. The chair was only about ten feet away from another chair, facing the same way as the first. There was a coil of rope on the seat. This must be the setup that Harvey had put together for his victims, to scare them as much as possible.

The Ringmaster could only imagine how much fear Harvey’s victims experienced in this place. She was scared, and she wasn’t even the one tied up. She was not one of Harvey’s victims; exactly the opposite. They were working  _together._

Her curiosity brought her further into the warehouse. The music became background noise as she travelled through the warehouse.

She dug through boxes and found an ancient-looking camera. She wondered if there was any film in it. It didn’t look like it. She found the complicated video system hookups. The codes were almost as complex as those in the villains’ monitor system.

But what fascinated the Ringmaster most was what she found in the back of the warehouse. There was a game room setup at the back on the right. Pool table, dartboard, and a TV with a cable hookup and an Xbox.

How did Harvey get such an advanced piece of equipment? The Ringmaster didn’t have to think about it for too long. His father had been incredibly powerful. Just because he had never revealed that he had links to the future doesn’t mean he didn’t. She remembered that Twister had suspected it all along. The Ringmaster was not too surprised. Ryan had kept a lot of secrets when he was with Darkstar Corp.

Then the Ringmaster realized she recognized the song that was playing. It was Boyz 2 Men! So Ryan had had connections to the future.

But none of that was what fascinated the Ringmaster the most. What she found the most interesting was what was in the back on the left. There were several shelves pressed up against the wall, which were lined with bins. The bins were stuffed until they were almost overflowing with film strips. Home videos, the Ringmaster thought.

The entire warehouse was interesting. The Ringmaster was drawn in by every aspect, and fascinated by how magical this place could seem after all the people that had died here.

She went back and sat down on the chair. Once again, she was hit with nothing except for boredom. No power. She got up. The last thing she wanted to do was fall asleep in the warehouse.

This place had not been cornered off as a crime scene, but the dead bodies, and most of the blood had been cleaned up, except, of course, for the message. It had been left there deliberately, the Ringmaster assumed, to strike fear into people. The message was meant to taunt, to intimidate, because, of course, nobody could stop Harvey. The words would certainly scare the cops or anyone else who came by here. They scared the Ringmaster.

Everything was intact, which gave the Ringmaster perfectly good reason to believe that this place had been cleaned out by somebody, but not the cops.  _It must have been Harvey’s father,_ the Ringmaster figured logically.

She didn’t recognize the song that came on next, but it was a man’s voice, and it was a great party song. The Ringmaster got up and started dancing. Not for the first time, the Ringmaster felt glad that she’d left her Harriet Whitaker life behind.

Eventually she collapsed on the floor. Dancing wasn’t as fun if it wasn’t with Harvey.

Then the Ringmaster remembered the voice that Harvey used with his victims. Thinking of him doing it with Brandon the other day sent chills down her spine, but this time they seemed like the right kind of chills, more excited than scared.

The Ringmaster sat back down on the chair. Once again, she felt nothing special. She cleared her throat and then stopped and thought for a minute. How should she start?

Finally she took a deep breath and began:

“Shh, don’t be scared.”

No, that didn’t sound right. Or maybe it was right, and it was just her. Maybe it was just the fact that she’d never done this before that was messing with her head. She didn’t like the way her voice sounded. It sounded stupid. It sounded wrong.

Her heart sped up in a mix of fear and excitement. She took another deep breath.

The Ringmaster tried to relax. Then she tried again.

“Shh, just relax.”

No, that wasn’t right, either. The Ringmaster rolled her eyes and grumbled to herself.

 _Okay, here we go,_ she thought.  _This is it. I can feel it._ Then she sighed, smiled, and adjusted her hat. Her heart sped up a bit more, but she ignored it and tried one last time.

“Shh, that’s it,” she said. “That’s a good boy.”

She was hit with something. She breathed in the power.  _Now_ she felt it. She smiled darkly and laughed evilly. She felt great. She had never felt more power in her entire life. She’d just needed to trigger it. She had to call Harvey. She realized what she wanted. She had always hated school, yet she had never felt such an urge to learn in her whole life. She hurried to the back of the warehouse and dialed the number.

 

^^^

 

“Look out behind you!” cried Lauren, then laughed.

Her and Harvey sat on the couch, watching horror movies while thunder cracked and rain fell outside the window. They had popcorn and candy, of course.

Harvey had one arm around Lauren, leaning forward in expectation of the kill. All of a sudden, the power went out.

“No!” cried Harvey. “That’s not fair!”

“Darn it,” muttered Lauren. Then she giggled. “I guess that storm was too perfect.”

“Still think it’s perfect horror movie weather?” grumbled Harvey.

“Well, it would be if the power hadn’t just gone out,” said Lauren, laughing louder.

“I don’t see what’s so funny!” snapped Harvey. “Why are you laughing?”

“Cooper, get a sense of humor. Come on, loosen up.”

“I am loose!” insisted Harvey.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to see you when you were tight,” laughed Lauren.

“That isn’t funny!” whined Harvey. “But you know what is?”

“What?” Lauren got no answer. “Cooper?”

“Gotcha!” Harvey grabbed her.

Lauren squealed, but, despite her laughter, Harvey had read the moment of heart-stopping fear. He knew she had been scared, if only for one second.

“See?” said Harvey. “Now  _that’s_ funny!”

Then his phone rang.

 _This better not be Mortimer again,_ he thought, rolling his eyes.

“Honey? Could you…?”

“Of course.” Lauren stepped out, giving her fiancée some space. Fiancée. She would have to get used to that word.

“Stop calling me!” hissed Harvey.

The Ringmaster’s tinkling laugh sounded in his ear. “Fine, if you don’t want to hear this-“

“Sorry, I thought you were Mortimer.”

“Apology not accepted.” This time Harvey laughed along with the Ringmaster.

“So what’s up?” asked Harvey curiously. “This wouldn’t happen to be about the surprise you’re working on? Because, you know, Mortimer did mention that you were doing something for me-“

The Ringmaster gasped. “He did? Oh, he’s in trouble!”

Harvey chuckled.

“Actually, this is kind of important, I think. I felt it, Harvey.”

“Say what?”

“The power, Harvey. I felt the power. It hit me like a ton of bricks.”

He chuckled again. “Yeah, sometimes it does that. With some people it comes slowly, others it hits them all at once. Sometimes that can be dangerous.”

Something twisted in the Ringmaster’s stomach. She suddenly felt sick. “You mean-?”

“If it hits you all at once, it can sometimes be dangerous. But I think you’re safe.”

The Ringmaster laughed. “Well, that’s a relief, for sure.”

“So, tell me everything! I have to know. How did it happen?”

“I just had to trigger it. I did that voice, the voice you did with Brandon.”

“Seriously?”

“It took me a few tries to get it right.”

Harvey chuckled. “Well, I don’t know if it was a trigger, but we’ll talk about that later.”

The Ringmaster groaned. “How come everybody else’s questions get answered right away, and with me it’s always, ‘we’ll talk about it later.’?” she complained. “I think you’re doing it just to bug me.”

Harvey chuckled. “So, anyway, where are you?”

“I can’t tell you. We’re working on your surprise.”

“Oh, well, tell me after, then.”

“I’m telling you, Harvey, it was the most incredible experience ever!”

“Yeah, I know. It’s that way for everyone. Once Lois Thomas and Twister feel it, they won’t feel the same way about everything ever again.”

The Ringmaster decided to ignore that. Instead of saying what she really thought about that comment, she changed the subject by saying:

“So when do we get to try the torture?”

Harvey was surprised. “You sound eager.”

“Yeah. I want to do it! Please? Now that I’ve felt the power, I want to. So when do we start? I was thinking tomorrow!”

She was full of such an insane amount of excitement that it made Harvey burst into laughter.

“What?” asked the Ringmaster. Harvey could hear the smile in her voice.

Eventually Harvey composed himself. “You are so funny!” he said. “You’re pretty excited about this, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.”  _Mostly._ The Ringmaster felt the fear twist in her stomach again. She didn’t say anything, though. She didn’t want Harvey to know that she was also pretty scared.

“Not tomorrow,” said Harvey, chuckling. “Not that soon.”

“What? Why?”

“Just because you felt the power doesn’t mean you’re ready.”

“Well, then, how will I know when I’m ready?”

“It’s impossible to know, at least, for you to know. You need someone else. I didn’t know when I was ready. My dad told me I was ready.”

“But I feel ready!”

“Look, you can’t just jump into it. There’s a lot more to it than what you saw with Brandon. Even what you saw with Brandon…I mean, sure you noticed the voice, but there were some subtler things you may have not noticed.”

“But, Harvey, I need this! Please! I just want to do the killing once, and then you can teach me everything else! I just need to do it once.”

“Here’s the problem. I’m afraid if you do it once, you’ll crave it. It’ll become involuntary.”

“It won’t! Please, Harvey, don’t make me beg.”

Harvey chuckled. “You are begging.” Then he sighed. “Ringmaster.”

The Ringmaster was desperate. She felt another “no” coming. “Please? Saturday?”

Harvey mulled it over. “Okay. Just once. Saturday.”

“Oh, thank you, Harvey! Thank you so much! I wish you were here so I could hug you.”

“And spoil my surprise?”

“You get my point.”

“Come on, cut out the mush. I gotta go. My girl’s waiting for me.”

“Oh, that’s right. Your fake fiancée. Congratulations on your engagement.”

Harvey chuckled. “Good bye, Ringmaster.”

“Oh, wait! Is there a storm where you are?”

Harvey sighed again. “Unfortunately.”

“Storms make you crabby?”

“Yeah. And the power’s out.”

“You should have a candlelight dinner.”

“Huh?”

“It’s romantic.” The Ringmaster knew what was coming, so she quickly added, “I know you’re not a big fan of romance, but Lauren will love it. I’m just saying.”

“I’ll see you soon,” Harvey promised, then hung up.

The Ringmaster waited for the dialtone, then hung up. Then a car horn honked outside the warehouse, and she ran outside to meet Black Dawn.

 

^^^

 

“I can’t remember the last time we had a candlelight dinner,” said Lauren, as Harvey served up dinner by the light of two candles shining from the dining room table.

“Six months ago, when the plumber came over.” They both laughed a bit, then Lauren said, “Now I remember. You sent the garlic sauce flying.”

Harvey grimaced. “You’re never gonna let that one go, are you?”

“Hey, everybody does stupid things.”

“Really? Like that time you locked the keys in the car?”

“Um…well…” It was Lauren’s turn to be embarrassed, and Harvey’s turn to laugh.

“Aw, come on, Cooper!” complained Lauren.

“Hey, you rub mine in, I rub yours in.”

“So, are you going to tell me more about the business you partnered with?”

“Well, I can’t really say much. I hope you understand. It’s confidential.”

“Oh, okay. I see. No, yeah, that makes sense.”

“You’re upset.”

“No, I mean, I get it. I was just hoping to get a bit more information.”

“Sorry. It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just not my information to divulge. If I told you, I’d be in big trouble.”  _And so would you._

Lauren sighed. “Cooper, are you mad at me?”

Harvey froze over his plate. “What for?”

“For thinking you were the killer.”

“Lauren, not at all! Everyone is guilty until proven innocent.”

“I just feel terrible about this whole misunderstanding.”

“Why?”

“You want the truth?” Lauren whispered.

“Always, honey.”

Lauren took a deep breath and said, “I still loved you when I thought you were the killer. But I also felt relieved when I knew-or at least thought I knew-that the real killer had been locked up. I felt…safe again. But now I feel scared again, edgy again. I can’t help it, Coop. I know you said you’d protect me, but just knowing that the real killer’s still out there, I…Cooper, I’m terrified.” Then she started crying and flew right into the arms of the real killer.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's very interesting, i think. So, do you guys think the Ringmaster will actually kill someone? And what's up with Harvey and Lauren?**


	26. Chapter 26-TMFI (Too Much Fear of Information)

Harvey woke to blinding sunlight. He groaned, then looked around. He and Lauren had fallen asleep in each other’s arms, on the couch, and now she was gone.

“Lauren?” he called.

“She went out,” said a voice from up against the wall.

“Good morning, Ringmaster.”

“I’m bored. Are you sure we can’t do it today?”

“Ringmaster, you promised-“

She threw her hands up defensively. “Okay, okay, I won’t bug you anymore.”

Harvey chuckled. “Good.”

“You have a Harley in the garage.”

“Oh, trust me, I know!”

“You got it from Lauren.” It was not a question.

Harvey nodded. “It was a birthday present.”

“Why’d you agree to marry her?”

Harvey didn’t answer.

“You should have broken up with her. You know, if you marry her you’re just gonna end up killing her.”

“I’m going to have to kill her anyway.” The Ringmaster detected his excitement.

“Why don’t you just do it now?” she asked.

“It’s not time yet.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I mean, how do you know when it’s time?”

“It’s really…complicated. Everything will be explained in time. Just have some patience.”

The Ringmaster snorted. “Patients are for hospitals.” They both laughed.

“Don’t worry,” said Harvey. “Soon enough, I promise.” He snorted. “You saw how close she got to figuring out I was the killer. I ended up in jail.” He gave a small smile. “Maybe someday I’ll tell you about it.”

“Maybe.” She sighed. “Well, I should probably go now.”

“Well, you don’t have to go. Stay here.”

The Ringmaster giggled. “I do, actually. I have to start preparing for Kim’s party.”

“Kim?”

“She’s my friend. It’s her birthday next week, and I promised to host the party.’

“What day?”

“Wednesday.” She wrapped her arms around Harvey’s neck. “You’ll be there, too.” She stared into his eyes. “Right?”

“Uh…I guess so?”

The Ringmaster pulled him closer. “Yay! It won’t be much fun with out you.” She took his hand in hers. “So, I guess I’ll see you Saturday.”

“Do you really have to go right now? I mean, the party’s not until Wednesday.”

“Harvey,” the Ringmaster said. “You know I can’t do that. I can’t stay here forever. But-“she added, holding his hand to her heart, “-if you really miss us that much, you could always come back up to the castle with us, and stay.”

Harvey smiled.

“We miss you.”

Harvey just stared into her eyes.

“What?” The Ringmaster smiled back at him. “What is it?”

“You. Your heartbeat. Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump.”

“Knock it off!” the Ringmaster giggled, then spun around so she was in Harvey’s arm. Then she started humming Boyz 2 Men again. Harvey chuckled.

“Shh, hang on,” said the Ringmaster.

They were both quiet for a long moment.

Finally the Ringmaster said:

“I gotta go. I can’t be seen here.”

“Why? What’s going on? Is someone coming to see me?”

“Be patient. You’ll know in time.” Before she disappeared out the back door, she added, “Stay locked onto my mind signal. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Wait! Ringmaster!” But she was already gone, and Harvey was left alone.

 

^^^

 

Harvey opened the door-he was eager to find out who his mysterious visitor was-and found Tom standing there.

“Hi, Cooper,” he said hurriedly.

“What’s up, Tom?” asked Harvey, smiling at his friend.

 “Well…see, it’s…I have something…I think we should talk about.” He took a deep breath. “Can I come in? I think I need a root beer.”

Harvey and Tom sat in the kitchen. Harvey popped open two root beers and slid one to his friend. “So what’s going on?” he asked.

Tom cleared his throat. “Well, I…I’m hearing…voices,” he whispered.

“It’s all in your head, Tom,” said Harvey.

“But that’s the problem. It  _is_ in my head. It’s almost as if I’m hearing other people’s thoughts, you know?”

As Harvey listened to Tom’s story, about how it had been going on for several days now, and he’d been hoping it would pass, but it hadn’t, the confusing became the obvious.

 _No. Way,_ thought Harvey, almost-but not quite-dropping his root beer.  _Heh, a little help here, guys? Please._

Black Dawn was the first to answer him.  _Well, you don’t have much of a choice. You’re going to have to tell him._

_How much?_

_All of it. Everything._

_Great,_ thought Harvey sarcastically, to which the boss laughed.

 _Cut it out!_ snapped Harvey.  _It’s not funny._

 _Sorry, Harvey,_ said Black Dawn.  _I don’t know what else to tell you. You_ have  _to tell him._

Harvey took a deep breath.  “Well, Tom,” he began, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but…you’re darkness.”

Tom fell backwards out of his chair. “What?!” he screamed.

 

^^^

 

The Silver Masquerade knocked on Black Dawn’s door. Black Dawn waved him in.

“What’s up, Silver?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he replied. “I just dropped by to say hi.”

“I’m kinda busy right now.”

“What with?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know!”

“I would love to?” Silver made it sound like a question.

Black Dawn giggled.

“Are you checking up on Harvey?”

Black Dawn frowned at him and cleared her throat. “Er…maybe. What’s it to ya?”

“How’s Harvey’s surprise coming?”

“Pretty good.”

“We’re gonna win the battle, I bet.”

“Yeah. Harvey thinks so, too.”

Silver gave her a joking suspicious look. “You’ve been inside his mind.”

“Maybe a little.”

“So, is he going to-?” He cut off when he saw Black Dawn’s face, and he had to admit he felt the same way. He didn’t want Harvey to leave.

“I’m hoping he’ll change his mind,” whispered Black Dawn. She started shuffling papers around. “Okay, I need you to leave now. I’m busy.”

“Black Dawn, I-“

“Silver! Please.”

Silver left and closed the door behind him. Black Dawn put her head in her hands.

 

^^^

 

There was a deadly silence after that. Neither of the boys said a word. Tom stared at Harvey and Harvey stared down at the floor.

“Well, say something!” cried Tom. His voice sounded a lot like Brandon’s, and he sounded close to tears.

Harvey sucked in a deep breath. “What do you want me to say, Tom?” he asked quietly.

“I-“ Tom sighed. “I don’t know,” he whispered, and his voice was strangled. Then he started crying.

Harvey put his root beer down on the counter, knelt down beside his friend, and said, “Tom, it’s okay. Don’t cry.”

“I’m scared, Cooper,” said Tom, pulling his friend closer. Harvey threw his arms around Tom. “Okay, Tom, it’s okay.”

“Save me,” whispered Tom.

It didn’t seem gay at all that he was hugging Tom, Harvey thought.  _And if that’s what other people think, then whatever. I don’t care._ Harvey was not gay, and besides, it was just him and Tom, and nobody was around to judge. Besides, Tom needed this. Harvey remembered how scared he had been when he first started people’s thoughts, and started using his powers, despite the fact that his father had explained it all to him beforehand.

Harvey told himself that Tom had not had anyone to explain it to him. He could imagine how scary it must have been for Tom. Nobody had told him about it. He had no clue as to what was going on. If Harvey had been scared, Tom must be terrified.

“What the hell is going on?” moaned Tom, whimpering.

“It’s gonna be okay, Tom, I promise. Tom, it’s gonna be okay. Breathe.”

Tom wiped his eyes and took some deep breaths.

“Okay, Tom? Now listen. Tom. I need you to listen to me for the next little while, okay?”

“But-“

“Tom. We’re gonna get this fixed, okay? I need you to listen.”

Tom took a deep breath. “Okay.”

“Okay? Good. I need you to call Frank and tell him to come over here, okay? And try to stay as calm as possible. Got it?”

“Okay,” said Tom. His voice sounded more normal now.

“Okay. I’m going to go check my messages, and I’ll be right back.”

Harvey went out to the living room. There was one message. It was from Lauren.

“Hi, Cooper,” said Lauren. “I went out with my friends, Lizzie and Melanie. We decided we needed a girl’s night out, so we’re going to see a double feature and then out to dinner. I probably won’t see you until nine or ten tonight. Okay? Love you! Bye.”

Cooper gave a small chuckle, then went back to the kitchen, where Tom was just finishing his conversation with Frank.

The two boys sat beside each other, leaning up against the dishwasher. They put their root beers beside them on the floor.

“So, since I’m evil-“ began Tom.

“You’re not evil!” exclaimed Harvey. “Of course you’re not evil. Who said you’re evil?”

“You did,” said Tom, confused. “Just about ten minutes ago.”

“No, I didn’t. I said you were darkness.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Evil means you’re evil.”  _Kinda like me._ “Villain means you’re evil. Darkness just means you have powers.”

“I have  _powers?”_

“You can read minds.”

“Does it always start with mindreading?”

“Yes, it always does.”

“I still don’t quite understand.”

“Okay. You’re darkness. If you don’t join either the good guys’ side or the bad guys’ side, you’ll still be darkness.”

“Wait, what?”

“It’s okay. It took me a while to get it, too. Pay attention. You’re darkness.”

Tom nodded. “Okay.”

“If you join the SHA, you’ll be light.”

“So light has powers. They’re the heroes with powers!” A grin spread across Tom’s face.

“Exactly!” Harvey nodded. “Now, if you join Darkstar Corp., you’ll still be darkness.”

“But I’ll be a villain. Darkness are the villains with powers.”

“Exactly. If you don’t have powers, you’re just a hero or just a villain.”

“Or neither.”

“Now you, Tom, if you don’t join either side, you’ll still be darkness.”

“What if I join the SHA, though?”

“You’re light, because you have powers, but you’re a hero.”

“Because I have powers.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“Is there any way to get rid of them?”

“No. you can get the darkness out of you, but not the powers.”

“So darkness and powers are two different things?”

“Yes, but they come together. If you have one, the other is unavoidable.”

“So they’re a package deal, basically?”

“Yes.”

When Frank came over, Harvey explained it all again, then they started the second part of their conversation.

Harvey sat with them in the living room. Tom and Frank sat on the couch, and Harvey sat in a chair across from them, leaning forward.

“Listen, you guys. Something really important about the darkness-and your powers-is that twins always get them. What I mean is, if one twin gets them, the other twin will, too.”

“So I’m going to get powers, too?” asked Frank. He sounded kind of scared, and excited at the same time.

“Yes,” said Harvey.

Frank shook his head, then started shaking all over.

“Frank, it’s okay,” said Harvey. “Just breathe, pal. Breathe.”

Frank breathed deeply, and after a moment, he stopped shaking. “I’m a bit scared, Cooper,” he admitted.

“Don’t be,” said Harvey. “It’s okay. Okay? I promise. You’ll be fine.”

Frank nodded. “Okay.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you guys figure this out.” He looked at Frank. “Okay, Frank, now the second you get your powers, or the second you think you have them, you contact him  _immediately._ Got it?”

“Got it,” said Frank quietly.

Harvey sighed. “Okay, now there’s another part of this, but you guys have to promise me that you can keep a secret first. You have to promise me you won’t tell anyone, not even your parents or your friends…or Lauren.”

“There’s something Lauren doesn’t know?” asked Tom.

“It’s something I didn’t tell Lauren for her own protection,” said Harvey, which wasn’t exactly true, but whatever.

Frank and Tom looked at each other.

“Okay,” said Tom. “I promise not to tell anyone. Not a single person.”

“So do I,” said Frank. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Good,” said Harvey.

Then his phone rang.

 

^^^

 

“Somebody better be dying!” snapped Harvey into the phone.

“Well, hello to you, too,” said the Dark Lord. “What, I can’t call to welcome the new recruit?”

“Oh! Yes. I mean, of course, I was just…busy with my friends, and I was talking to them.”

“They’re darkness.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I understand I’ll be meeting you on Saturday, Mr. Wickston, and maybe Tom and Frank as well.” He chuckled. Then Harvey heard the boss in the background, but he couldn’t tell what she was saying.

“Okay, okay, I was talking to Harvey,” he heard the Dark Lord say. Then he thought Black Dawn say something about hogging the phone, 3 phone calls already, and then there was a dial tone.

Harvey stuck the phone in his pocket, then faced his friends.

“Okay,” he said. “First of all, my name isn’t Cooper Branson. It’s Harvey Wickston.”

“So you kept your real name from Lauren for your protection?” asked Frank. “How is faking a name going to protect her? Are there some people after you or something?”

“Nobody’s after me,” said Harvey. “However, there is something going on that you guys should know about. But it’s just for you two, and you can’t tell anybody else because you made a promise.”

“Wait, Harvey,” said Frank. “I can call you Harvey now, right?”

Harvey chuckled. “When we’re alone, yeah?”

“Okay, so if this is for people’s protection, why are you telling us?”

“Because you’re darkness, and now that you have powers, you can defend yourselves. Also, now that you’re darkness, I think you deserve to know everything so that I can help you through this.”

“But how do you know so much about this stuff?” asked Tom.

“I’m getting to that part,” said Harvey. “I’m darkness.”

“Okay,” said Tom. “Now I understand. That makes sense.”

“There’s something else I should tell you guys. Remember how I said I partnered up with another business?” asked Harvey.

“You’re with Darkstar Corp.,” said Frank.

“Yeah, I am.”

Tom sucked in a deep breath. “So why do you have two names, and two lives?”

“It’s a very long story that I’m not going to tell you guys right now. Now, I’m going to tell you about the darkness.”

He proceeded to tell them all about the mindreading, how to put up a block, and how to make sure everything wasn’t coming in to them all at once. He told them all the secrets he’d kept from them, all about being the killer, being with Darkstar Corp., all of it. It only took about half an hour for him to explain it all. By then all of the boys were on their third root beer.

“Whoa,” said Frank and Tom, as they listened to Harvey.

“Just to be sure, we’re not evil, right?” asked Frank.

“No,” replied Harvey.

“Can we be evil?”

This time Harvey did drop his root beer.

 

^^^

 

“Are we done yet?” asked the Ringmaster. After they were done helping Harvey in the conversation with the boys, they had headed out to put the finishing touches on the warehouse, or rather, what they had turned the warehouse into.

Well, they were both supposed to be helping each other, but Black Dawn kept telling the Ringmaster to take a break, so finally she had, and now she was bored.

“Soon, I promise,” said the boss. “Make yourself useful and hand me one of those screws over there.”

The Ringmaster handed her the screw as she’d asked. Black Dawn took her screwdriver and put together the last part of the table.

The Ringmaster played with the computer cord. “I’m so  _bored!”_ she whined.

“So go for a walk,” Black Dawn suggested. “There’s a lot to explore around here.”

“I don’t wanna go for a walk! I want to help!”

“No way. You need to take a break.”

“No, I don’t,” muttered the Ringmaster.

Then the warehouse door opened and Harvey entered.

“Hello, hello,” he said cheerfully. Then he surveyed the room with obvious confusion. “What’s going on here?”

“Nothing.” The Ringmaster hid the screws behind her back, and Black Dawn hid the screwdriver. “Nothing, nothing at all,” she said hurriedly, while wondering how Harvey had found them and his old warehouse.

Harvey chuckled. “Come on, boss, I can’t believe you don’t know it’s me. I mean, the Ringmaster I understand, but you? You know me better than that. You know  _Harvey_ better than that.”

The boss took out the screwdriver as the Silver Masquerade changed back. “Oh, yeah, of course,” she said. “I knew that. I mean, I knew. I was just pretending.” She smiled, and her face turned bright red.

“Same old Black Dawn,” the Silver Masquerade said, walking over to her. “You haven’t changed a bit.” He put one arm around her. She pulled the hood of her cloak down, giggling. Silver ruffled her hair.

“Hey, Ringmaster, it’s your lucky day,” announced Black Dawn. “Can you finish up with the computer and stuff? Silver and I are going to start painting.”

“Okay,” said the Ringmaster.  _Finally,_ she thought, making Black Dawn laugh. “Hey,” the Ringmaster added. “Don’t paint over Harvey’s message.” She pointed to the opposite wall, where Harvey’s bloody message still was.

“Don’t worry,” said Black Dawn. “We’re only painting half of it anyway.”

“Yeah, we wouldn’t do that,” added Silver. “We know Harvey well enough. I think I learned more about Harvey in the last week than you guys learned about me in the entire time you’ve known me.”

“Oh, my gosh!” exclaimed Black Dawn. “You’re never gonna let that one go, are you?”

Silver laughed. “Nope.”

Black Dawn smiled wryly. “Let’s paint this place.”

They both grabbed for a paintbrush. They both went for the same paintbrush at the same time. They both laughed, then looked at each other.

“Okay, you go,” they both said at the same time. Then they laughed again. “Here, you take it,” they said in unison. Then: “Okay, I’ll take it.”

Black Dawn laughed, then took the paintbrush from Silver and playfully hit him with it. Silver took another paintbrush and hit her with it.

Then Black Dawn grabbed a paint bucket and they both climbed up the ladder. Black Dawn was able to use her powers to hold the ladder in place.

The Ringmaster was working on the computer, getting it set up and whatnot, while Black Dawn and Silver were up on the ladder, talking in hushed voices and laughing.

Harvey would really appreciate all this hard work, the Ringmaster knew. He would thoroughly enjoy this place. When she was done setting the computer system up and everything, she sat down with her back against the wall.

Silver and Black Dawn finished painting the walls, so they dismounted. Black Dawn snapped her fingers, and the mess was clean.

“Now you guys know that these doors are going to be locked until Saturday?” asked Black Dawn.

“Yes,” said Silver.

The Ringmaster nodded.

“Okay, guys.” Black Dawn looked at both of them. “Let’s bring this place to life.”

The three of them all stood beside each other, got down on one knee, put their hands on the floor, and closed their eyes. There was a “whoomp!” sound as the darkness brought the place to life.

“Now for my part,” said Black Dawn. “Stand back.” They all stood up, and Silver and the Ringmaster stood back. Black Dawn closed her eyes and snapped her fingers.

“Okay, we’re done,” Black Dawn announced.

“Oh, my gosh,” interrupted Silver. “I think we’re gonna have some new recruits.”

“What?” asked Black Dawn.

“Frank and Tom.”

The boss sucked in a breath. “I knew it,” she said, very quietly. Then she laughed. “Welcome to the future.”

 

^^^

 

Harvey cleared his throat. Then he took a deep breath, trying to recover from the shock of what he’d just heard. He took a quick second to think. Then he cleared his throat again.

“Well, yeah,” he said. “You could. If you wanted to. I mean, do you want to?”

“Yes.” Tom smiled, and Harvey could’ve sworn he saw the darkness flash in his friend’s eyes. “Harvey. I wanna go to Darkstar Corp. with you.” Tom’s voice was strong and clear. He didn’t sound scared at all. Harvey could feel his friend’s excitement, mixed with a slight bit of fear that Tom tried not to show.

Harvey chuckled darkly, and the darkness was clear in his eyes as he said, “Well, then, let’s go.”

 

^^^

 

The Silver Masquerade and Black Dawn were in Black Dawn’s office, hanging out, listening to one of Black Dawn’s CDs.

Silver had insisted on carrying Black Dawn into the castle, despite her laughing protest and her many attempts to playfully hit him.

“Who do you think is the best singer ever?” asked Silver.

“Elvis,” said Black Dawn.

“What about Foreigner?”

“Oh, yeah! Foreigner kicks ass! They’re awesome.”

“No kidding.”

 

^^^

 

Tom’s fear became more obvious as the boys approached the castle. He even voiced it.

“Harvey?” asked Tom.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Harvey wanted to know.

“I’m kinda scared.”

“Why? There’s nothing to be scared of. I’ll keep you two safe.”

“Okay.” Tom said nothing more, though he was still scared.

They pulled up to the castle, and the Dark Lord opened the drawbridge. He greeted Harvey and his friends at the front door.

“Hey, nice to meet you,” said Harvey, shaking the Dark Lord’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, Harvey. I’m the Dark Lord.”

“Really?” said Harvey sarcastically. “I didn’t know.” The boys laughed, then Harvey said, “These are my friends.”

“Frank and Tom,” said the Dark Lord.

Tom took a step backwards.

“Come on,” said the Dark Lord. “I won’t bite.”

“No, thanks,” said Tom. “I’m good right here.”

The Dark Lord laughed. “Can’t say I blame you. I wouldn’t want to shake my own hand, either.”

“Harvey, you’re so brave,” said Frank.

“Oh, gosh.” Harvey smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Naw, it’s easy for him.” The Dark Lord turned to Harvey. “I’m the one who should be scared of you. I heard about the root beer thing.”

“What?” asked Harvey. “Oh! Right, that. That was nothing.”

Frank looked from Harvey to the Dark Lord, confused.

“Well, I’m scared of you, already,” Tom informed the Dark Lord.

The Dark Lord chuckled. “Well, thank you, but I’m not the one you should be scared of.”

“I am,” said a voice from behind them. They all turned around and saw Black Dawn standing up against the wall.

Then the Silver Masquerade changed back, and the real Black Dawn stepped into view.

“Ha-ha,” said the Silver Masquerade triumphantly, while Black Dawn just laughed. “We got all of you. You should’ve seen your faces!”

“Hi, Harvey,” said Black Dawn.

“Hi, boss,” said Harvey.

Black Dawn went over to Harvey and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“It’s a good thing you showed up, Harvey,” said Black Dawn. “I’m glad you’re here. I miss you when you’re gone.”

Harvey unstuck the boss’ arms. “Come on, cut out the mush,” he teased.

“You guys must be the new recruits,” said Black Dawn.

Tom took another step back.

“Whoa.” Harvey went over and tried to keep his friend stable. “You okay, Tom?” Tom looked like he might throw up at any moment.

“Is he okay?” asked the Dark Lord.

“He’s just scared,” said Harvey.

“Tom?” asked Silver. “Are you okay? We’re not going to hurt you if you’re with Darkstar Corp.”

Tom fell to his knees. Everybody stepped forward to help him. Just then a voice came from behind them.

“What’s everybody up to?” asked Twister. Everybody turned around and looked at her.

“New recruits,” said the Dark Lord.

Twister snorted. “Lovely,” she muttered. “I think we have enough new recruits to last us ten lifetimes.” She looked at Harvey. Then she looked at Tom. “Is he okay?”

“Not really,” said Harvey. “What’s it to you?”

“I’m fine,” said Tom, and tried to stand up.

“Nice to meet you, Fine,” said Twister. “I’m Twister.” Tom held out his hand, but Twister just stuck out her tongue and said, “Don’t be stupid.”

“What?” asked Tom in confusion.

“Break it up,” said Twister in disgust. “And get them out of here!” She pointed to Harvey and his two friends. Then she left.

“She doesn’t like new recruits,” Harvey explained.

Then someone else said, “You guys must be Frank and Tom.”

The villains parted to let the Ringmaster through. She held out her hand. Frank and Tom both introduced themselves, then the Ringmaster threw her arms around Harvey’s neck.

“Ringmaster,” said Harvey.

“I know, I know,” sighed the Ringmaster. “Cut out the mush.” She untangled herself. Then she turned back to Frank and Tom. “Come on, I’ll show you guys around.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So...what do you guys think of this chapter? i wanted to do something really interesting with Frank and Tom. i feel like this chapter defines them. Things get better, dont you worry.**

**Many thanks to all of you who have read this far, commented, voted, all this stuff.**

**bye!**


	27. Chapter 27-The Suicide Girl

After Frank and Tom had disappeared with the Ringmaster, Black Dawn pulled Harvey into her office.

“I’m really glad you’re here, because my paperwork has been piling up, and I really need someone to help me.”

Harvey’s eyes glowed. “Okay, but I can only stay for a few hours, because my fiancée will start to wonder where I am if she gets home.”

“Perfect. Sit down. Pull up a chair.” The boss smiled at him. “Come on, let’s get started.”

Harvey and Black Dawn sat down at Black Dawn’s desk. They started filling out papers and addressing envelopes.

“So, I told the Dark Lord everything that you told us the other day,” Black Dawn informed Harvey.

“And what did you say?” asked Harvey, looking up from his paper.

Black Dawn met his eyes. “He says the torture sounds like a lot of fun, and he wishes he could have seen you with Brandon. He also says your dad was very smart.”

“Yeah. He was.” Harvey turned back to his writing.

“Harvey.”

Harvey stopped writing, but didn’t look up.

“Harvey, look at me.”

Harvey met Black Dawn’s eyes. “Yeah?”

“I know you miss him.”

Harvey nodded.

“That aside, is there anything else going on that I should know about?”

“No, of course not. Why would you say that?”

“Harvey, please don’t lie to me,” said Black Dawn softly. “I’m really trying here. I really am.”

“Okay. I’m worried about the Ringmaster. I’m not so sure about Saturday.”

“But why, Harvey?” The boss was confused. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it? Isn’t that why you showed us everything you showed us and told us everything you told us?”

“Yes, but…well, you weren’t there when I had this conversation with the Ringmaster, but she felt the power. It hit her all at once, and I said that much power hitting her all at once can be dangerous.”

“She told me about that. You said she was safe.”

“I said I  _think_  she was safe. But now I’m not so sure.”

“You think you shouldn’t go on Saturday?”

“Maybe it’s not such a good idea.”

“The Ringmaster’s gonna be fine, Harvey. Trust me on this. I’ve known her for years. You have nothing to worry about.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. Positive.”

Harvey sighed. “Okay, then.” But he still wasn’t convinced.

 

^^^

 

It only took Harvey about two or three hours to help the boss complete all her paperwork. Then he went to find Frank and Tom to tell them everything he’d told the rest of the villains the other day. Frank and Tom were both sort of excited about it.

Then Harvey went to the bathroom, and as he was coming out, the Ringmaster met up with him.

“Harvey!” she squealed. “I’m glad I found you, because I had a really great idea for Saturday.”

“Oh, no, Ringmaster, you promised-“

“I know. I promised you I wouldn’t keep bugging you to do it early, and I kept my promise. But I have to tell you this part.”

“Okay, fine. Show me.”

“Yay!” The Ringmaster threw her arms around his neck again. “Okay, so my idea is that we go after an SHA agent.”

“No way,” said Harvey.

“Why not?”

“This is your first kill. An SHA agent is not a good test kill.”

“Come on. Please?”

“No,” said Harvey in a finalizing tone.

Then we walked away. The Ringmaster went after him.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Home,” said Harvey.

“Already?”

“Yeah.”

“Can’t you stay here for a bit? The boss has a new mission for us. You can show Frank and Tom how it’s done.”

“Alright, I’ll stay for a while.” Harvey waved her away, then made a couple of phone calls.

He made a phone call to Lauren, telling her he was taking care of some business stuff and that he wouldn’t be home until late tonight. Then he called Jack and told him that he was taking care of some business stuff and Saturday was no good. Jack said that was okay because he might have a date that night.

Then Harvey went to collect the forms and the file from Black Dawn. Then they got into the car and went off. Jennifer Ryker, the victim, lived about an hour away.

They blasted the radio. Harvey turned it to a station where they were playing Andrew W.K. Then the Ringmaster shook her head and changed it to a station that was playing Boyz 2 Men.

“No way,” said Harvey. He changed it back. Click!

Click. The Ringmaster changed it back. “It’s my car.”

“It’s my kill.” Click.

Click. Click. Click. Click.

Eventually, the Ringmaster just gave up and let Harvey have his way. She recognized the song from Ryan’s CD anyway, but she didn’t say anything.

Then the song ended, and a song by Boyz 2 Men started playing. The Ringmaster burst into laughter, and so did Harvey.

They stopped at Tim Hortons, and bought coffee and donuts. They both threw their empty coffee cups out the window, and both got them in the garbage cans. Then they high-fived each other.

 

^^^

 

Eventually they arrived at Jennifer’s house. They parked at a restaurant in the area.

“Okay,” said Harvey. “So I’m gonna do what I do best, and you stand there and watch me as best you can.”

The Ringmaster nodded.

“Watch everything I do. Okay? I’m gonna teach you.”

The Ringmaster nodded again. “Okay,” she said quietly.

“Ringmaster?” asked Harvey. “Are you okay?”

“I’m kinda scared.”

Harvey nodded. “Yeah, I know. You’re gonna get that. Now that you’ve felt the power, you’re going to feel that fear. Just breathe. Okay? The fear will go away eventually. For now, you’ve just got to push away the fear, and embrace the excitement. Okay?”

The Ringmaster took a deep breath. “Okay.”

“Okay, good. Take my hand.”

They held each other’s hands, disappeared in a surge of darkness, and reappeared in Jennifer’s house.

 _Shh,_ hissed Harvey in her head.  _We have to be very quiet now._

 _Okay,_ the Ringmaster said back.  _What do I do?_

_Stand up against the wall. Okay? Watch and learn._

The Ringmaster stood exactly where Harvey told her to stand.

Then Jennifer parked her car outside. All the lights were off in her house.

 _When I tell you to, get the light, okay?_ Harvey told the Ringmaster.

The Ringmaster nodded.

When Jennifer came in, Harvey grabbed her arm and pointed his gun at her head.

“Don’t move, don’t scream,” he said.  _Lights!_

The Ringmaster turned the light on. Jennifer had long brown hair, and she couldn’t have been any older than eighteen.

 _Watch_ this! said Harvey. The Ringmaster shared his excitement, but there was still a bit of fear that she didn’t mention.

Jennifer was shaking from head to toe, even crying already.

“Now, as long as you cooperate and do exactly as I say, it won’t be so bad,” said

Harvey, in the voice he usually used with his victims. “However, if you struggle, if you fight it, you’ll only make it harder on yourself.”

“No, no,” whispered Jennifer. “Please, no. Please.”

“Shh, don’t be scared,” soothed Harvey. “It’s okay. There’ll be some pain, but it’ll all be over soon.”

Jennifer was sobbing now, but trying to be quiet, too, because she was afraid of what the man might do to her if somebody heard. The Ringmaster was there, too, so Jennifer had good reason to assume he was with Darkstar Corp.

“Very good, Miss Ryker,” said Harvey. “I am with Darkstar Corp.”

“Who are you?” asked Jennifer through her tears.

“My name is Harvey Wickston.”

Jennifer was crying so hard now, she could barely see a thing.

“Shh,” Harvey soothed her. “Shh, it’s okay. There we go. That’s it. That’s a good girl.”

The Ringmaster watched as Harvey took the coil of rope from around his shoulder. He tied up Jennifer’s wrists, but he tied them really tight on purpose, so that Jennifer cried out in pain.

“Please!” she moaned. “It hurts!”

“Shh,” Harvey said. “Calm down. Shh. That’s a good girl.”

Jennifer tried not to move her hands or her wrists too much, because every time she did, it really hurt. Of course. She should’ve known that anybody from Darkstar Corp. would want to hurt her.

“Please.” She whispered. “I’m scared.”

That was her big mistake.

“You should be,” said Harvey. “It’s going to hurt. A lot.”

Jennifer tried to scream, but Harvey stuck the barrel of the gun in her mouth.

“Shhhh, shh, shh, shh. Not now. Not here. You’ll be able to scream all you want once we get there. Which is good, because you’ll be screaming a lot.” He aimed the gun at her head again.

Jennifer tried to scream again, but the Ringmaster silenced it.

 _Ringmaster!_ Harvey whined in her head.

_Oh! Yeah, sorry. Proceed._

“Jennifer. Do you want me to hurt you? I can hurt you really badly if you want. Is that what you want?”

“No. Don’t.”

“Then be quiet and cooperate, or it’ll be worse. This is your last warning, okay? Shh, that’s it. That’s a good girl.”

 _Harvey really is too obsessed with his work,_ thought the Ringmaster.

“What?” asked Harvey, looking up.

 _Oops._ The Ringmaster had forgotten that Harvey was locked onto her mind signal. “Sorry,” she apologized quickly.

“Sorry that you thought that or sorry that I heard it?” Harvey wondered, snorting.

“Come on, Harvey, you know it’s not like that,” hissed the Ringmaster.

“We’ll talk about this later.”

“Harvey. Come on. Please.”

“I’m busy here!” Harvey snapped.

The Ringmaster started crying.

“Oh, come on, Ringmaster.” Harvey went over to her. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Suddenly the Ringmaster gasped. “Harvey, grab her!”

Jennifer had seized the opportunity to make a run for it. She was bolting across the floor.

“Go!” cried Harvey. “Grab her!” Harvey ran into the kitchen and grabbed a knife.

The Ringmaster snapped her fingers, and all the doors and windows closed. She couldn’t move. She just stood there and stared.

“How did I do that?” she wondered.

Harvey, who was standing beside her, simply shrugged.

The darkness gleamed in the Ringmaster’s eyes as she cried, “Let’s get her!”

Jennifer had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. She couldn’t fight them, so she collapsed on the floor, falling to her knees. She started sobbing.

The Ringmaster grabbed her. Jennifer started trying to fight, but Harvey grabbed her from behind and pushed her down against the floor.

“Let me go!” begged Jennifer. “Please!”

Harvey just started soothing her again.

“No,” begged Jennifer in a whisper. “No, please.”

Harvey twisted Jennifer’s wrist. It hurt when it scraped against the rope. Jennifer whimpered, but did not cry out.

Then Harvey pressed the knife against her hand. Jennifer did not have to read minds to know what he was about to do.

Jennifer started crying again; begging him not to, but he just soothed her.

“Shhh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh!” he soothed her. “Shh, it’s okay. That’s a good girl. Be brave. It’ll be very quick.”

Jennifer was shaking her head. She wanted to scream, but then her enemies would only hurt her more.

“Shh,” said Harvey. “That’s it.”

Jennifer turned at exactly the right moment, so that the knife cut through the ropes instead of through her hand. Harvey was so shocked that he dropped the knife. Then he picked it back up, and ran after Jennifer alongside the Ringmaster.

“What happened, Harvey?” the Ringmaster yelled at him.

“I don’t know!” cried Harvey. “I didn’t know she was going to do that.”

The Ringmaster shot him an icy look.

“It wasn’t my fault,” insisted Harvey. “It was an accident.”

They tackled her by the door. Harvey practically rammed the barrel of the gun down her throat. Jennifer was crying and struggling and Harvey loved it. He had an insane urge to howl at the afternoon sun like a werewolf howled at the moon. It was a familiar sensation. He very often had that urge when he was doing his work. Suddenly Jennifer’s hand flew up and she pressed down on the trigger before Harvey could stop her. There was a single gunshot, then nothing.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wanted to do something different with this chapter. At first i was just going to do the torture thing, but i decided to make it more interesting.**


	28. Chapter 28-Unsure

Harvey and the Ringmaster climbed into the car. The Ringmaster just crossed her arms and stared out the window.

“Ringmaster?” asked Harvey.

The Ringmaster didn’t say anything.

“It wasn’t my fault. Come on. Okay, maybe it was my fault a little bit. I’m sorry. Please talk to me.”

The Ringmaster sighed.

Harvey started driving.

“Please, Ringmaster, I didn’t know she was going to…to…” He couldn’t help it. He started laughing. “…kill herself.”

“Harvey, knock it off!” cried the Ringmaster. “I don’t…” She smiled. “…don’t see what’s so funny!” She burst into laughter. They both laughed.

Then they stopped laughing and just smiled.

On the way home, they bought McDonald’s. They had Big Macs and fries and root beer. They blasted the radio, which was playing music by Asia.

They pulled up to the castle, and Dark Mortimer opened the drawbridge for them at their request.

They went into the castle, Harvey with one arm around the Ringmaster.

Black Dawn pulled them into her office.

 _Oh, great, now we’re in trouble,_ thought Harvey.

 _Relax, Harvey, I’m sure it’s fine,_ the Ringmaster thought back, but Harvey read the chilling fear in her mind signal. He pulled her closer.

 _It’s okay,_ he assured her, but the Ringmaster was on the verge on throwing up.

 _Please, please, please, please,_ she thought.

“Harvey,” said Black Dawn. “Come here.”

Harvey tried to step forward, but the Ringmaster grabbed his wrist and would not let go. Something icy caught in her throat.  _Don’t,_ she warned Harvey, and he felt that she was scared for him.

 _It’ll be fine,_ Harvey told her.

“You’re not in trouble,” said Black Dawn. “Don’t worry.” She looked at the Ringmaster. “I won’t hurt him.”

The Ringmaster loosened her grip, but did not want to let go of him for more reasons than merely fear. Harvey just rolled his eyes, shook her off, and went up to the boss’ desk.

“I just want to know the details,” the boss said.

“Told you,” said Harvey.

The boss peeked around him and waved the Ringmaster forward as well. The Ringmaster hesitated for a short moment. More than once, she had seen people get thrown into the Pit of No Return. Then she swallowed her fear. Harvey had told her so. Maybe she didn’t trust him  _enough._ She stepped forward, beside Harvey, and grabbed his hand.

“So, tell me everything,” the boss insisted excitedly.

Harvey kicked it off, and both the girls heard the almost chilling excitement in his voice. A thrill of fear ran through the Ringmaster. She hurriedly corrected Harvey when he got confused, or filled in the details when he forgot them. They both built on each other’s stories, and soon the Ringmaster felt almost as excited as Harvey.

They told the story from when they’d left the castle to when they got back. Black Dawn laughed at the radio fight.

When they were done, Black Dawn stood up from her desk. She shook her head.

“What am I going to do with you two?” she asked, but Harvey saw the amusement in her eyes. She started laughing. Then Harvey joined in, and so did the Ringmaster. Then they stopped laughing.

Black Dawn sat back down at her desk. “Okay,” she said. “I’m done with you two. That’s it. Bye bye.” She waved them away, and they left just as the phone rang.

The last thing they heard as they closed the door was Black Dawn answering the phone.

 

^^^

 

The Ringmaster wanted to show Harvey his surprise right now, but Black Dawn had said the warehouse was off-limits until Saturday. She wondered what the boss would do to her if she and Harvey went up there today. Maybe if they went up there before Saturday, they wouldn’t be able to get in. Either way, it didn’t matter. The Ringmaster could and would wait until Saturday.

Harvey and the Ringmaster got all the villains together-except for Twister and Lois Thomas, who weren’t interested-and told them the suicide story, which earned great laughs and high fives all around.

The only thing that all the villains were upset about-especially the Dark Lord-was that they would have gotten to watch Harvey torture her again. The Dark Lord had been excited to see how it was done, but now he wouldn’t get to. At least, not today.

After Harvey and the Ringmaster finished telling the story, the Ringmaster pulled Harvey into the living room.

“Sit here,” she said.

“Why?” asked Harvey in confusion.

“Just wait.” The Ringmaster walked over to the wall next to the T.V. She snapped her fingers and two door handles appeared. She opened the large double doors. Harvey sucked in a deep breath. Inside was the largest walk-in closet Harvey had ever seen, piled from top to bottom with movies. There were boxes and crates on the floor as well, stacked, filled with more movies, Harvey assumed.

“Wow,” breathed Harvey.

Despite there being so many movies, the Ringmaster didn’t have to look at all. She seemed to know where everything was. She selected the two movies she wanted in a matter of seconds. Harvey wondered if the movies were just in alphabetical order to make it easy for everybody, or if the Ringmaster just knew where everything was.

The Ringmaster popped the first movie into the disc drive.

“What are we watching?” asked Harvey.

“You’ll have to wait and see,” said the Ringmaster. “I’m going to go get us some candy. You wait here. Unless you think you might be tempted to press the play button.”

“I won’t,” said Harvey.

The Ringmaster disappeared.

Harvey watched the promos, wondering what could be so great that the Ringmaster would think that he might be tempted to press play. It was obviously a horror movie, there was no denying that. If Harvey might be tempted to watch it, it must be a horror movie. Too bad it was crummy horror movie weather. The sun shone in through the curtains.

Then Harvey heard the Ringmaster coming back, humming Boyz 2 Men. She snapped her fingers as she went, turning off lights and closing curtains.

“Better?” she asked as she slid in beside Harvey.

Harvey chuckled. “Much.”

“We can’t watch a movie in the light, especially a horror movie. It’s just wrong.” The Ringmaster smiled.

The room was almost pitch black, except for the light coming from the T.V.

The Ringmaster had two jumbo bags of Smartfood and two large bowls full of candy. She handed Harvey one of each. Then she pressed menu. Experiment in Torture.

“Experiment in Torture?” asked Harvey excitedly.

“It’s a good movie.”

They started watching it, and eventually Black Dawn joined them. Then Mortimer, then the Dark Lord, and soon all three couches were taken up. Even Twister had joined them, sitting beside the Ringmaster. She liked horror movies, and she liked watching horror movies with the Ringmaster. They were all excited, and soon, just like every time he watched horror movies, Harvey got into the flow, and everything else just faded away. Harvey was so into the movie that he didn’t even hear his cell phone ring when Lauren tried to call him.

 

^^^

 

Lauren and her friends had gone out at around nine in the morning. She didn’t want to wake Cooper up, so she called him after she left the house and left him a message on his home answering machine.

She went to an early movie with Lizzie and Melanie, around 10:30. Around 1:30 she got a call from Cooper, telling her he needed to take care of some business stuff, and that he may not be home before she was home. She hadn’t gotten the message until after the movie, around 12:45. Lauren had been checking her messages while she and her friends were on their way to lunch.

Then, during lunch, she got up to go to the bathroom, and got a big surprise. She bumped into Lois, who was going to the washroom at the same time as her.

“Oh, my gosh! Lois? You’re here.”

“Yeah.” Lois’s face brightened.

“What are the guys at Darkstar Corp. up to?”

“Who cares?”

“It’s so great to see you again!”

“You, too. Could I join you for lunch?”

“Where’s your girlfriend?” Lauren skillfully dodged the question.

Lois’s face turned red. “She’s not my girlfriend, and she’s not here. I’m alone.” He smiled. “So, care to join me?”

“I’m actually with my friends.”

“So, could I just maybe sit for a while? We could talk for a bit and I could buy you a root beer.”

Lauren hesitated. His offer was tempting, and he seemed sweet…and sincere. Then she remembered what Frank had said.

“I’m not so sure that I want my friends to know that we’re…hanging out.” She almost said “dating” but stopped herself just in time. She didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. She was engaged, after all.

“If they’re true friends, they won’t judge.”

“Look, Lois, I…” Lauren hesitated.  _Just do it._ And she almost did. “I would love to, but I’m engaged.”

“Really?” Lois grinned, but his insides froze. Engaged? It was worse than he’d thought.

“Yup.” She showed him the ring.

“You sure don’t sound too excited,” Lois said, confused. “Aren’t you?”

“I’m just really nervous.” But Lois sensed the uncertainty in her voice. He didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“I’ve gotta get back,” said Lauren. “But maybe I’ll see you round.” She hurried away before Lois could say anything else. Lois just stared after her. Did she know? Something didn’t feel right. Something didn’t fit.

 

^^^

 

The rest of the day passed by pretty quickly. Lauren went window-shopping with her friends, then they went to another movie at around 3:00.

Around 5:00, she tried calling Cooper back, but got no answer. She smiled to herself. Cooper must be getting her back for not answering her phone.

That was their teasing game. If one of them didn’t answer their phone, the other one wouldn’t answer when they were called back.

Lauren remembered when they had started the game, just like she still remembered when she had met Cooper. Their first date. Their first dance. Their first kiss. She remembered one night when Cooper had whispered to her, “I’ll never let you go. I promise.”

She looked back down at her ring again. It was her engagement. She was supposed to be excited about it, wasn’t she?

Lauren remembered back to when she was ten years old, right after Ben had broken up with her. She had not cried a single tear over him. Instead she had made a promise to herself that she would find the right guy before she died. But Cooper had loved her for so long, and had made a promise that he would never let her go. He must be the right guy.

Right?

 

^^^

 

Experiment in Torture was a slight disappointment. It only had about ten minutes of actual torture in it.

“Don’t worry,” the Ringmaster assured him. “The next one’s better.” She put the disc in. “We work up to the best one.”

“Personally, I think this one’s the best one,” said Dark Mortimer. ”But that’s just my opinion.”

“I think the moral of this movie is to never take drinks from strangers,” said the Dark Lord.

“I think the lesson is to have CAA, so you can call them when you get lost in the middle of nowhere,” said Twister.

“Yeah, except their phones weren’t working,” said Silver. “Otherwise they would’ve called a cab.”

“Quit ruining it,” said the Ringmaster.

Then she pressed play. The movie was called the Human Centipede.

“This movie will satisfy you,” said the Ringmaster, and Harvey sensed that special excitement in her voice, that special craving he knew all too well. That feeling that only came with horror movies, especially good ones. “Trust me. It scares me.”

“Hey, Harvey,” said Black Dawn. “If I get scared, can I jump in your arms?”

Everybody laughed, including Harvey, even though he didn’t quite understand the joke. Then they watched the movie. The Ringmaster kept laughing, squealing, and covering her eyes. Her heart raced. She cuddled up close to Harvey. Seeing how scared she was, he put one arm around her. The Ringmaster was shaking with a mix of fear and excitement.

When the movie was over, the Ringmaster didn’t get up.

“Ringmaster?” asked Dark Mortimer. “Are you going to get the last one?”

“I can’t,” said the Ringmaster. “I’m scared. I can’t get up.”

“It’s okay,” said Harvey. “I’ll protect you.”

The Ringmaster took a deep breath. Then she stood up. She went to get the last movie, with Harvey’s promise in her head.

“Okay!” she cried excitedly. “This one’s the best! Nobody spoil it for Harvey!”

Everybody cheered and clapped.

 _Wow, it must be good,_ thought Harvey.

“It is,” replied the Ringmaster. “This one will satisfy your craving.”

“Good, cause I’m falling asleep here.” Harvey closed his eyes and pretended to snore. The Ringmaster laughed.

Then she popped the movie in. The menu said “The Wizard of Gore.”

When the Ringmaster pressed play, everyone started chanting, “Montag, Montag, Montag!”

The Ringmaster whacked Harvey. “Put your arm around me!” she commanded.

Harvey chuckled, then put his arm around her. The Ringmaster snuggled up to him. He smiled and rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

Then they started watching the movie. The first time Montag came on the screen, the villains cheered.

It was gory, that was for sure. It certainly satisfied Harvey. It also scared the Ringmaster quite a bit. She kept squealing and screaming and covering her eyes.

Partway through the movie, the Silver Masquerade put one arm around Black Dawn.

“Silver,” she whispered.

“Oh, sorry.” He removed his arm.

“No, no, no! Don’t let go.”

Silver put his arm back and pulled her in closer. She giggled.

When the movie was over, it was late. It was about 9:00, but nobody was ready for bed. They decided to have a late band practice.

They played a lot of Foreigner, Elvis, and a song that Twister had written called “I Rock And Roll.” They also played some Boyz 2 Men.

When band practice was over, mostly everybody went into the gameroom, but Harvey and the Ringmaster stayed in the living room. They sat against the couch and talked.

“I know the cure for horror movies,” said Harvey.

“There’s a cure for horror movies?” asked the Ringmaster.

“Well, for the effects of horror movies. You turn all the lights on. You only eat real food, so no candy! And you watch a comedy movie.”

“Wow, cool!”

Then Mortimer came in.

“Hey, Harvey,” he said. “The boss wants to know, what do you think the lesson in the Human Centipede is? Everybody has their different theories. What’s yours?”

Harvey stared into the Ringmaster’s eyes as he said, “I think the moral is…never trust anybody.”

The Ringmaster giggled, and Mortimer ran off to tell the villains.

 _Good one,_ the boss giggled in Harvey’s head.

 _Nice,_ snorted Twister, talking to the Ringmaster.

The Ringmaster fell asleep on Harvey’s lap, and Harvey drifted off not long after.

 

^^^

 

Lauren was at a disco with her friends. The girls were up on the floor, dancing, surrounded by people. They were listening to Livin’ La Vida Loca when someone grabbed Lauren and pulled her into the crowd.

Lauren was having trouble seeing in the dim light. At first she thought it was Cooper, but then she saw that it was really Lois Thomas.

“Lois?” she asked. “Are you stalking me?”

“No!” replied Lois, with a small smile. “We just happened to be in the same place at the same time.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on, dance with me!”

“Lois, I can’t!”

“Everybody can dance. Dance!” He grabbed her and pulled her into the crowd. He pulled her up onto the stage.

“Oh, my gosh,” said Lizzie. “Is that Lauren?”

Lois kept spinning her around, trying to make her dance.

“Oh. My gosh,” said Melanie, frowning. “What is she doing?” she wondered.

“Is she crazy?” Lizzie cried, shaking her head. “Lauren! Hey, Lauren!” she called, but it was too loud. She sighed.

Lauren started laughing, tapping her feet, getting into the rhythm. Then she started dancing with Lois. Then Lois grabbed her hand again and pulled her into the crowd to mingle. Suddenly someone called, “Lois!” It was Twister, who had gone to pick Lois up. “Lois!” she called again.

“Oh, no,” muttered Lois. “Not now.”

“Is that Twister?” Lauren started to call out to her, but Lois stopped her.

“Don’t! Let’s go. Go. Don’t look back, just go. Come on.”

He pulled her through the crowd and out the doors. They ran, still holding hands. Finally they collapsed.

“Come on,” said Lois. “I parked around here.” He pulled her into the parking lot. They both climbed into his car. Lauren’s heart sped up, but she tried not to show fear.

 _Breathe,_ she thought.  _You’ll be fine. Besides, if he tries anything, you can always fight back._ But Lauren was pretty sure she couldn’t. What if he decided to kill her?

Lois turned on the radio. He was absorbed in his own thoughts. What if Twister found out? What if Harvey found out?  _If Harvey finds out, he’ll try to kill me again. He might get away with it this time. Twister already knows. Obviously she was here when I was up on the stage with Lauren._

 _Lauren probably thinks I’m just like everyone else at Darkstar Corp. But what if she knew her boyfriend-no, her_ fiancée- _was working for Darkstar Corp? Would she even believe me if I tried to warn her?_

_You care about her, right?_

_Yes, of course._

_Well, then,_ kiss  _her!_

Lois suddenly realized he recognized the song that was playing. It scared him.

“Mind if I change it?” he asked.

“Of course not. It’s your car.” Lauren laughed. “My fiancée, Cooper, loves Andrew W.K.”

Lois hated it. It reminded him of his brief experience with Harvey. He changed the station, and Fleetwood Mac was playing.

“That was fun,” said Lauren. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” said Lois. “I had fun, too.”

“You’re a great dancer.”

“And so are you.”

They leaned in closer. Then Lauren’s cell phone rang.

“It’s probably Cooper,” said Lauren. “Just hang on.” She answered her phone. “Hi, Cooper.”

“Oh! Hi, Tom. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Well, I’m doing great.”

“I heard you were hanging out with some friends.”

“Yes, Lizzie and Melanie say hi.”

“Okay, well, tell them I said hi back.”

“Tom says hi,” said Lauren.

Lois Thomas stifled a laugh.

“I’m probably gonna be home later than he planned,” said Lauren. “If you see Cooper, can you tell him? Or should I just call him?”

Tom looked at Harvey and the Ringmaster. “You probably shouldn’t call Cooper,” he said. “He’s really busy right now.”

“Still? He told me he was taking care of some business stuff.”

“Yeah. He is. So, I’ll tell him if I see him. Okay?”

“Thanks, Tom. I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Yeah. Well, I had to make a trip into town tonight.” He said the words as Black Dawn thought them. “I had to check into a motel, so you probably won’t see me until tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay. Well, see you when I see you. And Tom? Tell Cooper I love him, okay?”

“Okay.”

After they hung up, Lois and Lauren went to McDonald’s to hang out for an hour or so. Soon, though, it turned into two hours, then four, and soon, Lauren just stopped keeping track altogether.

 

^^^

 

Harvey woke up in the dark, at around quarter past three. He blinked, trying to make his eyes adjust to the gloom.

Then he carefully moved the Ringmaster’s head off his lap, and got up to get a drink from the kitchen. When he walked in, all the lights were off, but he caught another mind signal. He took a root beer out of the fridge, opened it up, and took a sip.

Then he chuckled. “Go ahead. Say what you’re going to say. Threaten me. Be angry at me. I don’t care. Let it all out.”

“Okay,” said Twister. “Let me just make one thing clear to you. The Ringmaster is my best friend! If she gets hurt, or if anything happens to her, I’ll kill you like you killed Brandon Saturday night. Got it?”

“Yup,” said Harvey, then chuckled and took another sip of root beer.

Then the Ringmaster came in and turned on the light. “What’s going on in here?” she muttered groggily. “Who’s yelling?”

Harvey pointed at Twister, who nodded. Her smile was smug.

“Don’t yell at Harvey,” said the Ringmaster, and wiped her eyes. Then she went up to Harvey and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“What time is it?” asked Harvey.

“It’s either really early in the morning or really late at night,” said the Ringmaster.

“It’s like, 3:30 in the morning.” Twister snorted. “Fail, Harvey.”

“Hey, don’t be…” The Ringmaster was interrupted by a yawn. “…mean.” She laid her head on Harvey’s chest.

“Okay, you need to get back to bed,” said Harvey. “And I need to get home, because my girlfriend is going to kill me.”

“Fiancée,” murmured the Ringmaster. She yawned again. “Don’t go, Harvey.”

“I have to.” Harvey detangled her arms from around his neck. “Lauren is probably really pissed off already. But I’ll be back on Saturday.”

“Mmmm…Saturday.” The Ringmaster slumped against Harvey, and he scooped her up and carried her to her bed.

“Good night, Ringmaster,” he whispered, and drove home. Boyz 2 Men was on the radio, and he rolled all his windows down and blasted it. He didn’t know all the words, but he hummed along.

When he got home, he parked in the driveway, then went inside. All the lights were out in his house, so he turned one on. Lauren was not waiting at the kitchen table, like she sometimes did, usually when she was mad at him.

He ran upstairs and downstairs, looking through all the rooms, turning on lights. Lauren wasn’t there.

He called her. “Hi, Lauren,” he said.

“Cooper? I never got a call from you! Last I heard, you were taking care of some business stuff.”

“How-?”

“Tom called. Where the hell are you?”

“I’m…home. Well, I just got in the door.”

“Are you kidding me? You  _just_ got in the door?! Cooper, I think we have different definitions of a little late!” Harvey flinched. So she was mad. “When you said, a little late, I thought you would be home around midnight, not 4:30 in the damn morning, Cooper! What the hell?”

“Well, where are  _you?_ You said you’d be home around nine or ten!”

“I told Tom to tell you when he saw you that I was going to be a bit late.”

“Which brings us back to the definition of a bit late! I thought you would be home when I got here! But instead we’re yelling at each other over the phone! I was worried about you.”

“Don’t make it out like I’m the bad guy! This is your fault, Cooper. Besides, if Tom had just done what he was supposed to do-“

“Don’t blame Tom for this! I never saw him. I don’t even know where he is right now.” That wasn’t true. He knew exactly where his friend was.

“He did tell me he was staying at a motel. But that doesn’t excuse you being home so late, and you didn’t even call me!”

“Well, I can’t win, can I?!” Harvey sighed. “Maybe we just shouldn’t get married. Or at least postpone the wedding until we figure some things out.”

“Come on, Cooper. You know I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t  _want_ to postpone the wedding.”

“Well, neither do I, honey, but we might have to. It might just be what’s best for everybody.”

Lauren sighed. “Well, I’m going straight home when I’m done here, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow.”

Then they both hung up.

 

^^^

 

Lois offered to drive Lauren home when they were finished.

“Okay, but don’t get too close,” Lauren warned him. “Cooper vowed to protect me, so you’ll probably be shot on sight.”

Lois grimaced. “Good to know,” he muttered, but he knew that wasn’t true. If Harvey was going to kill him, he’d want to kill him slowly. Lois thought of Brandon and shivered.

“Cold?” asked Lauren.

“Maybe a little.” Lois turned the heat up, then the radio on.

“So, what’s it like, working at Darkstar Corp?” asked Lauren.

“It’s…” Lois thought of everything that had happened since the SHA saved him from Harvey. “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s pretty cool, actually.”

Lauren told him where to park, so that Cooper wouldn’t see him. “See you later, Lois.”

“You just, like, ditched your friends,” said Lois, as she was getting out.

“So what?” said Lauren, giggling. “You did, too. Twister was calling you. You ran out on her.”

“She doesn’t like the fact that I’m with you.” He grimaced. “She thinks I might get hurt. She’s scared for me.”

“Why? Does the Dark Lord not approve of us being together?”

Lois flinched.  _Tell her! Tell her now! I can’t. You have to._

“Lauren…yeah. Something like that.” Lois looked down.

“Have you ever thought maybe she likes you, like, as more than a friend?”

“Maybe.” Lois was on the verge on tears.  _Just tell her! You have to keep her safe. If you love her, you have to protect her!_

“Lauren, listen…there’s something…”

“Lois, I’m sorry. But hey.”

Lois looked up.

“I’d ditch my friends anytime for you.”

Lois smiled up at her sadly.

“I’ll call you.”

“Lauren-“

“What’s up?”

“…Good night.”

“Good night, Lois.”

She closed the door. Lois watched her walk up to Harvey’s house, then drove away. But it only took him a few minutes to start crying, and he had to pull over because he could barely see.

 

^^^

 

Harvey greeted Lauren at the door.

“I thought you were going home,” he said, but he seemed happy to see her.

“I had to come see you first,” said Lauren, smiling. She wrapped both her arms around his neck. “How’re you doing?” She kissed his cheek.

“I’m doing fine,” said Harvey. “Better now that you’re here.”

“Aw!” She pulled him forward and they kissed each other. “Cooper.”

“Yeah?”

“Is there something going on that you want to talk about?”

“No. Not really.”

“Not really? You’re not certain or positive?”

“Lauren-“

“Cooper, you know if there’s a problem, you can always talk to me.”

“I know.”

“Like, if you didn’t want to get married-“

“Lauren! Is that what you think is going on? You think I don’t want to marry you?”

“I don’t know. I’m asking. Do you want to get married?”

“Lauren, of course I do.”

“Okay, good.”

“Do  _you_ want to-?”

“Cooper, of course!”

“Good. It’s not that I don’t want to marry you.”

“Well, what is it, then?”

“It’s just…my new job. I mean, I’m constantly…” He sighed. “I just wish I could be in two places at once, you know?”

“Cooper, do you worry about me?”

“Sometimes,” Harvey admitted.

Lauren started humming, then dancing. She took Cooper’s hand, and after they danced, they fell asleep on the carpeted floor.

 

^^^

 

“Where have you been?” demanded Twister.

“None of your damn business!” snapped Lois.

“I saw you up on stage with Lauren.”

“So?”

“Didn’t I tell you not to hang out with that girl anymore?”

Lois ignored her, so she grabbed his arm and pressed him up against the wall.

“Hey!” she cried. “Did you hear me, Romeo?”

“I heard you!” yelled Lois.

“Do you have a death wish?” Twister demanded.

“You know what?” cried Lois. “You’re just jealous!”

Twister’s face went white.

“That’s right!” continued Lois. “You’re mad because you can’t have me all to yourself!”

He shook Twister off.

“That’s not it,” she whispered.

“Oh, that’s right! You’re mad because you can’t have who you really want!”

Twister was so shocked that she just stood there and didn’t say anything.

“That’s right! I said it!”

Then Lois just ran off into his room, slammed the door, and cried himself to sleep.

 

*********

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, what do you think of Harvey and the Ringmaster now? How about Lois and Lauren? Do you think Lois will tell Lauren, and if he does, do you think Lauren will believe him? Do you think Lois will be too late? Also, what are the Ringmaster's chances of getting Harvey to fall for her?**


	29. Chapter 29-Harriet Whitaker

_Oh, no, she’s gonna kill us!_ Twister panicked. She  _was_ panicking. She couldn’t help it. Another failed mission. Black Dawn had warned them about this.

Ryan Wickston, sitting beside her, driving, looked at her.

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

“Of course not,” whispered Twister. “Why would you even ask?” She burst into tears. “We failed again! I’m such an idiot! This is all my fault.”

“No, it’s not,” said Ryan. He pulled over to the side of the road. “I won’t let her hurt you. I promise.”

“How can you promise that?” snapped Twister. “You don’t know what she’s going to do! Besides, you can’t die. You have a kid.”

“Harvey can take care of himself.” Ryan looked straight into her eyes. “I won’t let you die.”

“I won’t let  _you_ die!” Twister was so upset. “Ryan, let’s just go. Let’s just get out of here. Just drive. We can run away together. Start a new life. We can-“

“Don’t you dare say the SHA.”

“But, Ryan, it’s like Mayor Cannonball said. It’s never too late to change sides.”

“We’ll work this out, I promise. I’ll just explain the situation to Black Dawn. She’ll understand. She’ll go easy on us.”

“Do you know that for sure?”

“I have a good feeling about this. Come on, we can try.”

“Ryan Wickston,” said Twister in a hard tone, “you look at me right now.”

Ryan looked straight into her eyes.

“You promise me we’re going to be together forever!”

Ryan smiled. “I promise, Charlotte Davidson.”

“Ryan Wickston, don’t you ever call me that!”

Ryan looked away sheepishly. “Sorry, Twister.”

They entered Black Dawn’s office about 40 minutes later, both a little scared, neither admitting it.

Black Dawn sighed. “Okay, what happened this time?”

“Nothing,” said Ryan. “We didn’t do anything.”

“Let me guess, it was all the victim’s fault.”

“Exactly,” said Twister.

“Ryan Wickston,” said Black Dawn. “Come. Here.  _Now.”_

Ryan took a deep breath, then went up to the boss’s desk.

“Ryan, you made me a promise.”

Ryan attempted a smile. “I promised I would try.”

Black Dawn glared. “You still think this is about the victim?” The boss laughed. “It has nothing to do with her! This is all about you! Twister! Get out!”

“Don’t hurt him,” begged Twister.

“It’s his fault. He is not the boss of this company. Are you?” she asked Ryan.

“No,” whispered Ryan, and his voice shook.

“Are you?” she yelled.

“No!” he cried.

“I assure you, if the Dark Lord was the real boss of this company, he would be just as pissed! Twister. Get out now!”

Twister had the feeling that Black Dawn was trying to protect her.

No,” whispered Twister. “Please don’t.”

“I’m so sorry, Twister.” Black Dawn pulled out a gun.

Twister ran out of the office, closed the door behind her, closed her eyes, and covered her ears. She was crying.

Back in the office, Black Dawn closed her eyes, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Goodbye, Ryan,” she said. Then she squeezed the trigger.

 

^^^

 

The gunshot scared Twister awake. When she woke up, she realized that Lois must have triggered the nightmare.

_Damn you, Lois! It’s been almost four years!_

Twister had never fully recovered from losing Ryan, even though she didn’t have the nightmare anymore. Until tonight, anyway.

She also realized the gunshot had not really been a gunshot, but a crack of thunder. There was a terrible storm outside.

“Ringmaster,” she whimpered. “Where are you?”

Twister sniffed. She wiped something wet from her eyes and realized she was crying.

Then the Ringmaster opened the door to Twister’s room. She closed the door on her way in, then went over, sat down on Twister’s bed, and wrapped her arms around her friend.

“I’m sorry,” whispered the Ringmaster. “Twister, I’m so sorry.”

“I loved him!” sobbed Twister. “I loved him! He promised we’d be together forever!”

But that wasn’t the worst part. After Ryan, Twister had promised herself that she would never fall in love again. She was falling in love.

 

^^^

 

Luke Sanders ran into his room, slammed his door, and started flipping through photo albums. He tore the pictures apart and threw things.

“I hate you, Suzie Matthews!” he yelled at the door. “And I especially hate  _you,_ Brian Arkansaw!”

For the third night in a row, Luke cried himself to sleep. Little did he know, tomorrow he would get a letter from the SHA. The letter that would change his life forever.

 

^^^

 

The next two days passed by quickly. Harvey and Lauren hung out a lot.

One thing, one big thing, Harvey realized about Darkstar Corp., that it had changed about him, was that he had to keep busy all the time. He had to be with Lauren, or with his Darkstar Corp. friends. He couldn’t sit still by himself for very long. He got restless pretty easily. He fidgeted in his seat.

“Cooper,” laughed Lauren, when he offered to make dinner Thursday night. “You never make dinner!”

“I know. What has work done to me?”

“Your new workplace, like, brainwashed you!” giggled Lauren.

“I know.”

“And you’re eating cereal, too. You never eat cereal. You hate cereal!”

On Friday morning, Harvey opened the door to find Frank staring him in the face.

“Coop,” he said. “We need to talk.” He cleared his throat.

“Okay. We’ll be right back. By the way, I’m making dinner tonight. No protests.”

“Okay.” Lauren laughed.

Frank and Harvey went outside to the backyard.

“Scared?” asked Harvey.

Frank let his face go white. He nodded.

“Don’t be.”

Frank almost passed out, but Harvey caught him. “Whoa. You okay there, buddy?”

Frank tried to breathe. “I think I’ll be okay,” he squeaked.

“Okay. I’m gonna get you to go to the McDonald’s over there.” Harvey vaguely waved his hand. Then he slipped Frank an address. “I’ll get someone from Darkstar Corp. to come pick you up, okay? Good.”

“Thanks.” Frank started walking over to the McDonald’s.

Harvey ducked back inside.

But his biggest surprise came that night.

 

^^^

 

Harvey was making dinner when there was a knock at the door. He was about to say, “I’ll get it!” but Lauren called it first.

A young, sweet-looking woman with long black hair was at the door. She looked like she couldn’t have been any more than nineteen years old, but at the same time, managed to look like she was in her early to mid-thirties. She had a sweet smile, and a soft, sweet look in her eyes that Lauren bet could melt any man’s heart. (She’d be wrong, of course. Or would she?)

“Hi,” she said, in a sweet, soft, shy voice that matched her looks, and was exactly what you thought someone who looked like that would sound like. “My name is Harriet Whitaker. I’m a friend of Cooper Branson’s from work.”

When Harvey heard the voice at the door, he almost dropped the spoon that he was stirring with. Before Lauren could even call “Cooper!” he was at the door.

“Hi, Harriet!” he said hurriedly. “I’m making dinner, so why don’t you come on in? This is Lauren, by the way. Come in, come in.”

Lauren and Harriet sat down at the kitchen table together, across from each other, and shook hands.

“It’s really nice to meet you, Harriet,” said Lauren. “I’m Cooper’s fiancée.”

Harriet gasped. “Oh, my gosh, no way!” she cried. “Can I see the ring?”

Lauren showed Harriet the ring.

“Whoa, that’s awesome!” breathed Harriet.

“Hey, do you want something to drink?” asked Lauren. “Sorry I didn’t ask, but do you want a root beer?”

“Sure, I’ll have a root beer,” replied Harriet. “Thanks.”

Lauren went to get Harriet a root beer, and Cooper and Lauren talked.

“So, I finally get to meet somebody from your workplace,” teased Lauren.

“Finally?” asked Harvey. “It’s been about a week. Besides, I did not invite her. I didn’t even know she was coming.”

“Well, she seems really nice.”

“She is.”

Lauren lowered her voice to a whisper. “I think she’s a bit jealous that we’re getting married.”

“Well,” said Harvey loudly, making Lauren laugh, “if she is jealous, then that’s just too bad for her!”

“Very funny, Cooper,” said Harriet from the table.

“You just couldn’t wait until tomorrow, could you?”

Harriet snorted. “Cooper, this has nothing to do with tomorrow, and we both know it. I promised you I wouldn’t bother you about that anymore.”

“People don’t always keep their promises, Harriet.”

Lauren brought Harriet a root beer, plus one for herself. “Well, I hope you keep your promise!” Lauren called back into the kitchen.

“Hey, I will,” said Harvey. “I’ve been keeping it so far, haven’t I?”

“Yes, you have.”

“Of course I have.” Harvey wrapped his arms around Lauren’s neck. Harriet looked down when they kissed.

“Don’t start a fire,” she muttered. Then all the smoke alarms started going off. Harriet smiled to herself.

Harvey hurried into the kitchen to check on dinner. He rushed to turn off the burner, but it was too late. The food was almost black.

 _Damn!_ Harvey thought as he dumped the burnt beyond saving chicken and rice into the trash can.

“Well, dinner’s ruined!” he called. “Who wants to order in?”

So they got pizza and sat and watched movies and talked about everything except work for over five hours.

When the second movie was over, Harriet got a call.

“Hello?” said Harriet.

“Hi,” said Black Dawn.

“Oh, boss, what a surprise.”

As soon as Harvey heard the word “boss” he rushed over and started trying to listen in.

Harriet tried to push Harvey away while she talked. “What’s this about?”

“This is really important. Tell Harvey to keep an eye on his girlfriend.”

“What? Why?”

“Will you get him out of there?”

Harriet hit Harvey. “Knock it off!”

“Okay.” Harvey backed up a bit.

Lauren stifled a laugh in the background.

“Okay,” said Black Dawn. “Now listen carefully. We have reports that Lauren has interacted with at least six SHA agents in at least the last two months.”

“Are you serious?” asked Harriet.

“Yes, I am. Now, listen, we sent Mortimer out just a few minutes ago to do some number cuts. By the way, Mortimer’s really excited to try Harvey’s torture thing.”

“Well, he’s not doing it. I’m doing it. Cooper promised. But it’s just one. Tomorrow.”

Black Dawn laughed. “So I heard.”

“Okay, so I’ll give Cooper the message.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Then they both hung up.

“Give me what message?” asked Harvey.

“It’s about business,” said Harriet.

“Lauren, would you excuse us for a minute?”

Lauren stepped out to give them some space.

“The boss told me that your girlfriend is talking to Mayor Cannonball and his friends,” hissed Harriet.

“So what? She doesn’t know they’re SHA agents. Just like she’s talking to you and doesn’t know you’re the Ringmaster.”

“Harvey, pay attention! This is important! You have to try and keep your girlfriend away from the SHA.”

“Look, I can’t do that. She talks to who she talks to. I can’t control it.”

Harriet sniffed. “Well, they sent Dark Mortimer out to cut some numbers.”

“Why not us?”

“You just had a mission on Wednesday.”

“That got ruined, remember?”

“Not exactly. It was fun. Besides, you’re saving yourself for Mayor Cannonball.”

“Eh, I suppose you’re right.”

“By the way, Mortimer’s really excited about the you-know-what.”

Harvey sighed. “No, no, no. We are not doing that.” He sighed again. “I thought this might happen.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure I can talk him out of it.”

“Hey. It’s nice to see you again, Ringmaster.” Harvey extended his hand.

“You, too, Harvey Wickston.” They slapped their hands into each other’s. Then they went to find Lauren and play Mario Kart.

 

********

 

**So now that Lauren has met the Ringmaster, what are your thoughts on them being friends? Do you think they would be able to do it? Or would Lauren figure out who Harriet really is?**


	30. Chapter 30-The Future Room

Saturday morning came all too quickly for Harvey, although, for the Ringmaster, it came too late.

Harvey’s alarm went off at eight in the morning. He rolled out of bed and got dressed. He found Lauren already in the kitchen, cooking eggs and bacon.

“I wanted to cook breakfast!” whined Harvey.

“And I want breakfast,” teased Lauren. “You know, after last night-“

“Hey, last night was not my fault!” insisted Harvey.

“Oh, really? Then who’s fault was it?”

“Well…it, uh…was my fault. But it was just a fluke.”

“I think you need a break from cooking.” Lauren scooped the food up onto a plate and put it in front of him.

“Thanks,” said Harvey.

“I put a special ingredient in it,” said Lauren.

Harvey sniffed the eggs. “Basil.”

Lauren smiled. “Damn. You’re good.”

She flicked a dishtowel at him.

“What day is it?” asked Harvey.

“Saturday.”

“Okay, I got a full day of work ahead of me. I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I gotta get going.” Harvey got up, rinsed his plate, and helped Lauren clean up.

Harriet called him to find out where he was.

“Okay, I gotta go, honey.”

They kissed each other.

“Have a good day, Coop.”

“See you later, honey!” Harvey called over his shoulder.

Then he climbed into his truck and drove off.

 

^^^

 

Harvey got to the castle just in time to see two big blow-ups.

“Mortimer!” called the Ringmaster.

“Yeah, I’m in here!” called Dark Mortimer from the gameroom.

“Will you come sign this birthday card for Kim?”

The Ringmaster ran into the gameroom and found Mortimer playing Mario Kart.

“Hey,” she said. “Will you sign this birthday card for Kim?”

“I’m kinda busy right now.”

“You’re always busy. Or at least, you pretend to be busy. It’s your excuse for everything!”

“It is  _not!”_ cried Mortimer.

“It is so! You’re being ridiculous! Just pause the stupid game and sign the stupid card!”

“You  _are_ stupid! And you’re never getting into the House of Villains!” Mortimer threw down the remote and ran from the room.

“Mortimer!” Harvey yelled after him. “That was totally uncalled for!”

The Ringmaster threw her arms around his neck. “Hi, Harvey.”

“Are you okay?”

“Better now that you’re here. I didn’t expect you here so early. I haven’t eaten yet.”

“I thought you would want me here early.”

“I know, I’m excited.”

“You’re getting into the House of Villains.”

“I have a good feeling about this time.”

“So do I.”

Harvey and the Ringmaster went into the kitchen to get some food.

“What’s in the cupboards?” asked Harvey.

Then he pretended to hold a microphone in front of his face. “And here’s your next challenge! Hidden behind one of these cupboard doors is…your breakfast!”

The Ringmaster giggled.

Then Lois Thomas came into the kitchen. Twister followed him.

“I told you not to call that girl again!” cried Twister. “Didn’t I tell you?”

“I didn’t call her! She called me!”

“Oh, yeah? By the way, how did she get your phone number again?”

“Look, she likes me! I like her!”

“You’re insane, you know that?”

“I may be insane, but at least I’m not afraid to stand up for what I believe in!”

“Oh, go join the SHA!”

“Hey, that is totally uncalled for! There is no way I’m joining the SHA!”

“Maybe  _I’ll_ join the SHA.”

“We both know you won’t do that.” He almost said, “We both know why, too,” but stopped himself just in time.

“I deleted her message, by the way.” Twister started making herself a bowl of cereal. “And you triggered the nightmares.”

“What?” Lois looked sad. “Oh, Twister, I’m so sorry! Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Just leave me alone!” Twister ran away. “I hate you!”

Lois ran after her.

The last thing Harvey heard was Twister yelling, “Think before you speak next time!”

Then a door slamming. Then nothing.

“What was that all about?” wondered the Ringmaster.

“Wow, all that fuss over a girl,” said Harvey.

“Whatever. They’ll work it out, I’m sure. Come on, let’s go. We’ve got a lot to do.” The Ringmaster pulled him away.

 

^^^

 

“Where are we going?” yelled Harvey above the music. The area had begun to look familiar.

“I told you, you have to wait until we get there,” said the Ringmaster. (Well, she wasn’t in her costume. She was Harriet Whitaker today.)

They’d picked up McDonald’s for breakfast. It had been Harriet’s idea. Harriet turned down the radio when they got closer.

“Are we going where I think we’re going?” asked Harvey.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” said Harriet.

“By the way, Tom made a good point on Wednesday,” said Harvey. “Why do I hide my real name? It’s not like I’m hurting anyone.”

“But Harvey Wickston is your killer name.”

“Yeah, but only my victims know that, and they never live to tell the tale.”

“Almost never.”

“Look, just because people know my name is Harvey Wickston, it doesn’t mean I have to kill them.”

“Harvey, you’re being ridiculous! Just do whatever you want! Besides, why are you taking advice from Tom?”

“Good point. I’m Cooper Branson.”

“Exactly. So shut up.”

She turned the music back up after that.

 

^^^

 

When they arrived at the warehouse, it was well past ten in the morning, almost 10:30. Pretty good, considering they had left to quarter to.

The Ringmaster parked in the grass, right in front of the warehouse.

“We’re here,” they said at the same time.

“Holy mackerel!” exclaimed Harvey. “My old warehouse!”

“Not exactly,” said Harriet.

They went inside.

“Whoa,” breathed Harvey.

“We, uh, thought you might want it back. But we modified it for you.”

“A TV. What is all this stuff?”

“This is really special. We gave you connections to the future, Harvey.”

“What?”

“Computers, TVs, mechanical stuff. You can get stuff from the future. Books, music, games, whatever you want.”

“How did you guys find this place?”

“Oh, just a lot of luck.”

“This is amazing, Ringmaster! Thanks.”

“Hey, hey, hey, Black Dawn helped, too. And the Silver Masquerade helped a bit as well.”

“Well, thank you all. What happened here, anyway?”

“Oh, we thought you might want your old warehouse, too. We divided it up for you.”

The warehouse was divided in half with a large black screen. Harvey and the Ringmaster opened it like a door. The Ringmaster pointed out that there were also two doors on the outside, one for each side.

“Wow! My old message!”

“Just try and save them!” giggled the Ringmaster.

“Tell me about it,” muttered Harvey. “Hey, you guys got it all set up for me!”

His game stuff and video clips were in the future room, the other part of the warehouse. The Ringmaster had set the chair up for Harvey’s kills. It was perfect.

“Hey!” said Harvey, sitting down in his old chair. “I have an idea. We can bring your first victim back here. I made my first kill here, in this warehouse. You can have your first here, too! What do you think?”

“Okay! Sounds good! By the way, Harvey, this is where I was when I felt the power. I was right here in this warehouse, and I sat in that chair, right where you’re sitting.”

“What? Are you serious?” Harvey was thrilled. He jumped up. “Come here, sit here.”

Harriet sat down again, and the power brought her to life. Harvey watched the darkness flash in her eyes.

“You feel that?” asked Harvey.

“Yeah!” cried the Ringmaster.

“You’re feeling it?”

“Oh, yeah!” Harriet closed her eyes, threw her head back, and howled. Harvey’s face was full of amusement as he stepped back.  _Oh, yeah, she’s feeling it,_ he thought. Then he joined her. When they stopped, Harvey said, “How’d that feel?”

“That was incredible!”

“I know.”

Harvey made five or six CDs with music from the past and the future, then they left.

 

^^^

 

“So what did she mean by nightmares?” asked Harvey, referring to the fight between Twister and Lois Thomas.

“Well, it’s a long and complicated story,” said Harriet.

“Would you like to tell it?” asked Harvey.

“Um, I’m actually not at liberty to,” said Harriet, looking away.

“Well, if you or Twister ever wants to talk about it, I’ll be here to listen to you.”

Harvey put on one of his CDs after that. He knew that Twister ever wanting to talk about her problems with him was not a very likely possibility. But maybe after she’d warmed up to him a bit…

That morning, the Ringmaster had given Harvey a file, a file that he hadn’t yet had a chance to look at, but with Harriet driving, he looked at it now.

“Black Dawn wrote it up,” Harriet told Harvey, as he looked it over. “She says he might be a good person for us to go after. Max Bishop.”

Harvey read the file. “He’s perfect! We’ll be able to grab him easy.”

Harriet moaned. “I don’t  _want_ easy! I wanted a challenge.”

“I know. And you will get one, I promise. When you get better. Look, right now this is your first kill, so we need to pick someone easier. Besides, you’re jumping into it right away. You’re lucky I agreed to this at all.”

Harriet snorted. “Watch me fail at this.”

“Oh, come on, you’re not gonna fail!” said Harvey.

 _That’s right, Ringmaster,_ said Black Dawn.

 _Yeah, I’m sure you’ll do great,_ encouraged Mortimer.

“Are they watching us right now?” asked Harvey.

“Yeah. It’s my first kill. They have to watch us.”

“Good point.”

“Okay. So here’s the plan: Max Bishop will have a fight with his girlfriend in about one hour. Then he’s gonna go for a walk on the beach. That’s where we’ll-well, I’ll-pick him up.”

Harvey was already shaking his head. “No, no, no. We’re not doing that.”

“Why? You scared of catching him out in public?”

“It’s not that I’m scared. That’s just not how it’s done. Look, we can’t grab him out in public, not in front of all those people. We have to get him alone, in his house.”

“Alone, huh?”

“Yup.”

“Oh, really, now? What about Rick and Claire?”

“What?” Harvey was truly surprised. “You knew about that?”

Harriet giggled. “You didn’t think that voice came out of nowhere, did you?”

Harvey was sunned into silence for a moment. He still remembered her words as clearly as if it were just yesterday.  _Kill the boy first!_ It had been a woman’s voice, Harvey knew that. But he didn’t know it had been the Ringmaster’s voice! He couldn’t believe he hadn’t recognized her voice from the bowling alley.

“Rick and Claire? That was you?”

Harriet nodded. “I couldn’t resist the opportunity.”

There was silence for a minute.

“Where are you going?” asked Harvey. “You missed the turnoff.”

“I told you, I’m going to the beach,” said Harriet.

“We’re not going to the beach. We have to wait for Max at his house. We already discussed this. Okay?”

“Not really. It’s not okay. I mean, I wanted to go to the beach.”

“Ringmaster-“

“Harriet!”

“Whatever. Look, this is supposed to be a test kill on my terms.”

“But it’s my kill! Can’t I do it my way?”

“No. I’m supposed to be teaching you. You’re supposed to listen to me!”

Harriet started yelling. “Well, it’s gonna be boring waiting at Max’s house! We can just go to the beach for a bit, and then we’ll come back! Okay?”

“No, not okay! We might miss him!”

“Then we’ll go find him! Look, you’re being ridiculous! Let’s just go to the beach and we’ll go from there!”

“Fine!”

A few moments later, Harriet sighed. “I’m sorry, Harvey. I should have listened. You’re right, you are the teacher. I’m supposed to listen to you.”

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry,” said Harvey. “You’re right. It will be kind of boring, waiting at Max’s house. Besides, the beach might be fun.”

“That’s the spirit!” Harriet giggled. Then she noticed the song that was on. “Who’s this by?”

“Rucka-Rucka Ali,” said Harvey. “It’s called Down, and it’s from the future.”

Harriet turned it up, and they both sang along.

 

*******

 

**So, here is a pivotal point in the story. What are you guys' thoughts on Twister now? Are you mad at her? Do you feel bad for her? Or are there different feelings? What about Harvey's father?**


	31. Chapter 31-The Teacher and the Student

Eventually, they arrived at the beach. Harriet looked around in awe. The sand! The sky! The sea! She could smell the beach. She couldn't wait to run around barefoot.

"Now, don't forget, we're here on a mission," said Harvey.

"I know," said Harriet. "I'm just as excited about the mission." That was not a lie. She was thrilled, and couldn't wait to get to the kill.

They got out of the car and went for a walk on the beach. They walked and talked until Harvey was enjoying it almost as much as Harriet.

Then Harvey bumped into a woman. Literally.

Harriet hurried off, and Harvey was calling after her, kind of walking backwards, and bumped into a woman.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Harvey. "Are you okay?"

The woman said, "Yeah...I, uh..." She stared up at Harvey and got lost in his eyes. "I...um..."

Harvey extended a hand to help her up.

"Thanks." The woman took Harvey's hand, and he pulled her up. They stared into each other's eyes, and Harvey smiled.

 The woman had waist-length, wavy brown hair and a beautiful face.

"Hey! Cooper!" Harriet's voice brought him back to reality. "Enough sightseeing, we gotta go. It's happening." She was closer than he thought. She tugged on the sleeve of his jacket.

Harvey let go of the woman's hand, but the woman just transferred it to a handshake. "Kelly Arkansaw. Nice to meet you."

"Uh..." said Harvey.

"Harriet Whitaker," said Harriet. "This is my friend, Cooper Branson. We have to go now. We have things to do."

"Well, it was really great to meet you, Cooper," said Kelly.

"Yeah, nice to meet you, too," said Harvey.

As they walked away, Harriet whispered, "Harvey, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking, I know who my next kill is going to be."

 

^^^

 

Lauren had her own mission to take on that day. After a light lunch, she headed over to the library.

Her plan was to dig up as much information on Darkstar Corp. as possible.

She checked out computer systems, internet, books, even newspapers. Nothing. So, her best plan was to go to Jared.

Lauren didn't know where Jared lived, or have his phone number. Her best bet was to go to where he used to live. When Jared talked about his house, he said he was going to stay there his whole life. At least Lauren had one piece of information that would help her.

Lauren took her Toyota and drove the 10km o Jared's old house, which looked just like Lauren remembered it. A good sign, she thought. Even if Jared hadn't said he was going to stay there his entire life, it still would've been the first place Lauren checked. She couldn't imagine Jared ever moving from this house. It was too beautiful, and too big. Of course, it may have looked that way because they were teenagers back then, but now, looking at it again, she realized it actually looked bigger. Maybe because she was older, and took more time to pay attention to detail...

Either way, it didn't matter, she decided. Either way, she was going in. Because of Lois. Because of her doubts. Because of her heart.

She took a deep breath, then knocked on the door.

 

^^^

 

About an hour later, Harvey and Harriet went up to Max's house. They got inside using their powers, so there were no telltale signs that they had gotten inside.

"You have got to teach me how to do that!" cried Harriet, when they were inside.

"Oh, believe me, I will." Harvey chuckled. Then he took out his gun.

"I hope you remembered not to load it this time," said Harriet.

"Oh, haha, very funny," said Harvey sarcastically. "Seriously, though, I didn't load it. I'm never loading it again, not after Jennifer."

Harvey put his hands around Harriet's hands and showed her how to hold the gun.

"Here. Hold it like this, right up against the side of his head."

 "Don't move, don't scream," said Harriet in a hard tone. "Unless you want to pay!" she snapped.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" asked Harvey.

"What'd I do?" asked Harriet.

"Don't worry, we can fix this. It's okay." He held Harriet's hands. "First of all, here. Hold it a little higher up. And keep a strong grip on it. There, like that. Second of all, you're not mad at Max. Don't use those hard tones with him. Keep your voice soft and sweet. Don't move, don't scream," Harvey said in a soft, smooth voice. "Now you try."

Then they heard Max's car pull up into the driveway.

"Too late" hissed Harvey. "Lesson's over. Go for it."

"Okay," whispered Harriet, and the two of them disappeared into the shadows.

 

^^^

 

Jared answered the door. Much like the house, he looked a lot like Lauren remembered him.

Probably Jared would remember her. She just had to spark his memory. She didn't see or hear anyone else in the house, except for the TV. She didn't know if it was a good sign or a bad sign.

Jared looked Lauren up and down. "What are you selling?" he asked her promptly.

"Nothing." As she said this, Jared's upset look changed to a frown of confusion.

"Lauren?" he asked.

"Hi, Jared."

 

^^^

 

Max Bishop and Beatrice Reynolds, his girlfriend of three months, had another fight.

His girlfriend, Beatrice, yelled at him.

"Get out, get out, get out! I hate you, Max Bishop!"

Then she slammed the door in his face.

After a long walk on the beach, Max headed home. He intended to call Beatrice and attempt to apologize. If that didn't work, he'd take her out for dinner. That always worked.

Yes! Problem solved.

Max was proud of himself for being so smart, and for apologizing, which he knew Beatrice would also appreciate. Max went in his house, whistling.

He went in through his front door, then closed it behind him. He felt a gun against his head.

 

^^^

 

Jared stared Lauren down. Then he looked away.

"I'm not getting back together with you. I don't care how much you beg, plead, grovel-"

"Jared," interrupted Lauren. "That's not what I'm here for."

"It's not?" Jared looked upset. Then he started begging and pleading and grovelling. "Oh, Lauren, I'm so sorry. Please get back together with me! I mean, I'm an idiot! It was a mistake. We were just kids and...and...well..."

Jared sucked in a deep breath when he saw the ring on Lauren's finger.

"Oh," he said quietly. "You're getting married."

"Yeah," said Lauren.

"Well, congratulations."

"Thanks. I'm...sorry. But I need your advice."

"About what?"

Lauren lowered her voice to a whisper. "Darkstar Corp."

Jared's face went white. He looked from left to right, then motioned Lauren inside and shut the door behind them. Then he let his breath out.

"We're safe in here," he said. I think, he didn't add.

Lauren just looked around in awe.

"Sit down," he invited her.

Lauren sat down, and Jared brought them two root beers. Then he sat in the chair across from her. He shook his head and sighed.

"Why d'you wanna know about Darkstar Corp, Lauren? You don't wanna get mixed up in this stuff, trust me. If they ever find out about this, we're both in trouble."

"Please, Jared, I have to know."

Jared sighed again. "Okay, what do you wanna know?"

 

~~~~~~ 

 

**AUTHORS NOTE: The dedication is still up for grabs. What do you guys think of Jared?**


	32. Chapter 32-Lois Thomas

Lois hurried through the forest. He tried to see through his tears as he ran as fast as he could. He was terrified, but was also on the verge of passing out.

 _Hurry up!_ he commanded himself. _Keep running! I can't. You have to. He's right on your tail!_

Lois knew the man was behind him, but did not look to see how close he was.

Lois screamed, but he didn't hear anything. Then he tripped, but before he could attempt to scream again, or even get up and keep running, he felt a hand on his arm and a gun to his head, and Harvey said, "Get up."

 

^^^

 

"Don't move, don't scream." The woman's voice was so soft and musical that it sounded more like a suggestion than an order.

But when Max Bishop felt the cold cylinder up against his head, he choked back a scream. He closed his eyes and a tear rolled down his cheek.

Great job! encouraged Harvey in her head. You got him crying. That's important. Now say-

"Come on," said Harriet. "It's okay. We're just gonna go for a little ride." She took a deep breath. She was enjoying this.

I bet you are! Harvey interjected, in a voice that shared her excitement. Go ahead, keep going. Remember, keep your voice soft.

"That's it. That's a good boy. Come on, get in."

They climbed into the car. Harvey climbed in the front, and Harriet got in the back with Max, who was sobbing by this point. Harvey started to drive away. Harriet was still holding the gun to Max's head.

"What do you want from me?" sobbed Max.

"Shhh, nothing," said Harriet. "It's okay. Just relax. It'll all be over very soon."

"Please, let me go!" whimpered Max.

"You know I'm not going to do that, Max," said Harriet. "Shh, it'll be okay. Just relax and enjoy the scenery, okay? That's it."

Max kept crying, and Harvey kept congratulating Harriet in her head.

They went over a speed bump.

"Will you be careful?" snapped Harriet.

"Sorry," said Harvey.

"You're lucky my hand wasn't on the trigger."

"It doesn't really matter, since that thing isn't actually loaded."

Oops, thought Harvey suddenly, realizing what he'd just done.

But it was too late.

 

^^^

 

"Is Darkstar Corp really as bad as everyone says it is?" asked Lauren.

"Yeah, pretty much," said Jared. "People die there, Lauren."

Lauren nodded. That was pretty much the whole point of it.

"So, if I was with someone from Darkstar Corp, what advice would you give me?"

"Lauren, be careful. Don't get sucked into that sort of stuff. He'll just destroy you. He'll kill you. No matter how sweet and sincere he may seem, it's a trick. They're trained professionals in this kind of stuff. I don't want to see you get hurt, Lauren, and I know your fiancée wouldn't, either."

"So it is a trick?"

"Yes, Lauren. I'm sorry."

Lauren nodded. "I thought so." She got up. "I gotta go, Jared. Thanks for the root beer, and the advice."

They said goodbye to each other, then Lauren left.

 

^^^

 

"Harvey!" cried Harriet.

"Oops," said Harvey. "Sorry."

Too late. Max tried to grab the door handle and get out of the car, but Harriet was quick to react. She grabbed Max's arm and pulled him back in.

"Shhh, shh, shh," said Harriet. "No, no, no, it's okay. Stay here. You're not going anywhere. That's it." Then, to Harvey, her tone got snappy. "Dammit, Harvey! Why did you have to say that?"

"I'm sorry. Should we load it?"

"Maybe." Harriet sighed. "I'm thinking about it."

Max screamed, but nothing came out.

"Shh, no, it's okay. Just stay here, or I'm going to make it hurt, okay?" said Harriet. Her soft, sweet tone sent a chilling fear through Max.

Harvey knew she was going to hurt Max anyway, but this time, he didn't say anything. He just stared straight ahead and continued driving into the afternoon sun.

 

^^^

 

Lois woke up at quarter after ten in the morning, but he took one glance out the window and flopped back on the bed. It was the kind of morning where you didn't want to get up, where you just wanted to stay in bed all day.

Lois felt too peaceful, too sedated, too exhausted to get out of bed. Of course, the fact that he was having a fight with Twister didn't help.

Lois was mad at Twister for being mad at him for liking Lauren, but of course, he was mad at himself for liking Lauren in the first place. He was also mad at himself for not thinking before he spoke, but more than anything, he was mad at himself for triggering the nightmares.

Really, Lois's anger at Twister was pointless, since he was mad at himself for the same thing Twister was mad at him for.

Oh, well. Either way, Lois liked Lauren, and since he was fighting with Twister about it anyway, he may as well go see her.

Yes, today was the perfect day for Lois to go see Lauren, and that was the only thing that got him out of bed that morning.

He hopped out of bed, got dressed, grabbed a piece of toast, and went to call Lauren.

She didn't answer, so he left a message.

Then he waited for her to call back.

 

^^^

 

When Lauren got home from Jared's place, the first thing she did was check her messages. She had one from Cooper, reminding her that he was at work all day and his phone would be turned off. Oh, right, she'd forgotten about that. Ugh. That meant she couldn't call him and talk to him. Oh, well.

She had messages from two of her friends, wanting to talk to her. Great. She'd call them back later. She already knew what they wanted to talk to her about.

Her fourth and final message was from Lois Thomas, telling her that he wanted to hang out and talk to her. This day was getting tiresome already, and it wasn't even noon yet. She just stared at her answering machine after that, wondering what excuse she should make first to put the call off as long as possible, or at least until she thought of something to say to him.

She would have called everyone back, but she didn't know what to say.

 

******

 

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: What do you think about Lois and Lauren now?**


	33. Chapter 33-To Kill A Max

They arrived at the warehouse about fourty minutes later. Max was terrified by now. He had no idea what was going to happen, and he didn't know if that was good or bad. All he knew was that his tormentors were going to kill him. Max could not stop shaking, and Harvey and Harriet were enjoying every minute of it. It excited the two of them.

Harvey was enjoying teaching Harriet and Harriet was enjoying learning. They were both having a lot of fun tormenting Max, and the torture hadn't even started yet.

 _Oh, by the way, I brought my bag,_  Harvey thought as they pulled up.

 _It's okay,_  said the Ringmaster.  _I brought my own stuff. It's in the trunk. She smiled at Harvey. It's like Experiment in Torture. Every artist has his own technique._

_Or in this case, hers._

The Ringmaster snorted. "Don't flatter me. I'm not doing so well."

Harvey killed the engine. "Well, I sort of screwed your kill up at the beginning, but you worked around that. Besides, even if you don't do so well, don't worry about it. We'll work on it. It's only your first. You have a lot to learn."

"And you have a lot to teach me."

Max was stunned. He couldn't believe what he was hearing! He'd known they were in cahoots, but the man was teaching the woman? But more shocking was what he was teaching her. What the hell was going on?

Max only had a couple of seconds to ponder this before Harriet came around to his side of the car and opened his door...or at least, tried to.

"Harvey, the door won't open," Harriet sighed.

"Oh. Oops." Harvey pressed the button to unlock it.

Harriet opened Max's door. "Thank you." Then she put the unloaded gun against Max's head. "Come on, Max," she said in that same, soft voice. "Get out."

When Max started crying again, she said, "Shhh. It's okay. Come on, get out."

Max got out. Harvey tossed Harriet some rope. He smiled at her.

 _Now, here's the fun part,_  he thought excitedly.  _This is the part where you get to hurt him!_

"How?" hissed Harriet.

"It's really easy," said Harvey. "First, get him to put his hands behind his back."

"Harvey, I don't know if we should be saying this kind of stuff in front of Max. Do you want him to hear?"

"Don't worry." Harvey smiled at her. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Don't worry. It's okay. I want him to hear. This should be quite interesting.

"All right," said Harriet.

Max kept looking from Harriet to Harvey and back through his tears. He was terrified. Then again, he was probably lucky. After all, he was the first. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, simply because Harriet was just learning. Then again, Harvey really seemed to know what he was doing. Maybe he was unlucky.

"Oh, Max," said Harvey, in the same voice that Harriet was using with him. "You should count yourself lucky."

"He's right," said Harriet. "Yours will be easy. Because you're my first, it probably won't be so bad. It will hurt, but probably not as much as the others."

Max started sobbing again, and hyperventilating.

"Shhh," Harriet soothed him. "Because you're my first, I probably won't know what I'm doing. It'll be okay. It won't be so bad, you'll see. Just relax. There we go."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing a really good job. You've pretty much got the voice down pact," said Harvey.

"Thanks." Harriet smiled at him.

"Usually by your third victim, you pretty much know what you're doing pretty well. Some people, it takes them longer than others, but the average victim number is three."

"See, Max. You're very lucky."

Max nodded, but he didn't feel very lucky right now.

"Don't worry, Max," said Harriet. "It might seem like you got the raw end of the deal, but you actually got the good end. It's okay. Shhh. That's it. There we go. That's it. Now, put your hands behind your back."

"No," squeaked Max. "Please!" he moaned. "Let me go! I don't want it to hurt!"

"Shhh, relax," said Harriet. "Just take a deep breath. Now, as long as you cooperate and do what we say, it won't be so bad. It's going to hurt no matter what, but if you don't listen, it will be so much worse. Now, put your hands behind your back."

"No!" sobbed Max. "Please!"

Harriet looked to Harvey for help. He smiled and winked at her.

"I'll take care of this," he said. "Listen, watch and learn." He tossed Harriet a box of ammo. "Alright, load it up," he said.

Harriet loaded the gun. She pressed the canister in and chuckled at the very satisfying click sound it made. Harvey was almost certain he had heard an undertone of darkness in her laugh. He chuckled, too.

"All right, Harriet. Class is now in session," he said. "It might take you a few tries to get this, and that's okay. You can kill as many people as you need to before you figure it out. Often your victims will resist, so you'll kind of need to persuade a bit. A lot of times, I actually had to get physical with them. Especially the kids."

"The kids? Wow, they must have thought they were pretty brave."

"No, just stupid." They laughed together again.

Then Harvey leaned down to Max's ear. "Listen, Max. If you don't cooperate with us, it's going to end very badly. Oh, Max." Harvey used his fingertip to brush Max's hair from his forehead very softly. Max whimpered, terrified. A tear rolled down his cheek. He tried to breathe.

"Shh," Harvey continued. "We can hurt you in ways you wouldn't believe. It's okay." He chuckled darkly. "It'll all be over soon. Just relax. Now, you'll want to do exactly what I say. Put your hands behind your back."

Max was terrified, and thought he might throw up at any moment, but somehow he found the strength and the bravery to put his arms behind his back.

Harriet smiled.

 _There you go,_  said Harvey in her head, smiling back.  _Now tie him up, but make it tight. Really tight._

"I think you can handle it next time." Harvey smiled at her.

"Yeah!" Harriet said excitedly. She tied up Max, tightening the knots until he cried out.

Harriet leaned over. "Hey, buddy," she said to Max. "Are you gonna throw up?If so, please do it now. If you throw up in the back of my car, I'll shoot you in the foot or something."

Max's face turned white, and he leaned over and threw up on the ground. Harvey congratulated her on her good work. They smiled at each other.

Then Harvey helped Harriet get Max inside.

Harriet had her bag slung over her left shoulder. Harvey helped her get Max's hands tied down to the armrests and everything.

Then they went outside to have a little talk.

"How am I doing?" asked Harriet.

"You're doing amazingly well for your first victim!" Harvey said, chuckling. "He's scared out of his shorts!"

Harriet started laughing. "So now what happens?"

"I'm gonna leave you to it in a few minutes."

The smile abruptly disappeared from Harriet's face. "What? No! I mean, shouldn't you stay here? You are my teacher, after all. I mean, you can't leave! I don't know what to do."

Harriet shuffled from foot to foot.

Harvey put a hand on her shoulder.

"Harriet," he said calmly. "Relax. It's okay."

Harriet breathed and told herself to calm down. Then she said, more calmly, "Why are you leaving?"

"Well, most people need to be guided into the kill, then left alone to embrace the darkness. It gives you a better sense of power, lets you concentrate more."

"I can concentrate with you here."

Harvey chuckled. "Somehow I doubt that." He smiled. "Look, I'll be watching you on the monitors. You'll be fine. Besides, I'm not leaving quite yet. Come on, let's go back inside."

Harriet cleared her throat, then grabbed Harvey's hand and pulled him back inside.

 

^^^

 

Jared watched Lauren drive away. After she was gone, he locked all the doors, closed and locked all the windows, closed all the curtains, and hid in his basement. He ate chocolate and watched Adam Sandler movies, but he could hardly focus. He jumped at every little sound. He fidgeted.

Someone from Darkstar Corp was going to come after him for giving away all the information he had just given away. He was sure of it.

 

^^^

 

"Didn't try to run away while we were gone, did you?" asked Harvey, chuckling.

"N-no," stuttered Max. He was still shaking.

"Scared, are we?" asked Harvey, chuckling darkly.

Max shook his head. "No," he squeaked.

"You're right," said Harriet. "We're not scared. You are."

She and Harvey both laughed, then high-fived each other.

Harriet got her bag, opened it, and started taking things out. So did Harvey.

Harvey's bag had the usual tools in it: a hammer and nails, a lighter, and so forth. Harriet had in her bag a small black box full of needles, knives, and a large jar of something white.

Harvey frowned at the jar. "What's that?" he asked.

"Salt," said Harriet lightly.

Harriet giggled as Harvey pulled her back outside for one last pep talk before she began her kill.

"Okay, so you can use a combination of our methods. I'm assuming you have something that you want to do," said Harvey.

Harriet nodded.

"Okay, so I suggest you use a combination of both our torture techniques. If you don't want to, you don't have to. Just stay locked onto my mind signal. I'll help guide you through it. Just let the darkness kick in. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright. Good luck. Meet you here when you're finished. And remember, you can do this."

Harvey disappeared in a surge of darkness.

The Ringmaster cleared her throat several times, took some deep breaths, counted to 10, shuffled from one foot to the other.

She reminded herself that it was only her first kill.

She counted some more, biding her time.

 _That's it,_  Harvey told her.  _Take your time._

She did. She kept reminding herself that even though she wasn't in her costume, she was still the Ringmaster.

She counted to a hundred.

Then she just stood there for a minute, wondering how long she'd been standing there since Harvey had left. It felt like hours, but she was sure it must have only been a few minutes.

Harriet rocked back on her feet. Then she sighed and went back inside.

 

^^^

 

Max had stopped screaming. Harvey wasn't surprised. It usually only took the victims a few minutes to realize that screaming wouldn't do them any good at all.

When Harriet came back inside, Max was just sitting there, crying and sobbing.

Harriet stood in front of him, waiting for a prompt from Harvey.

 _Talk softly to him,_  Harvey reminded her.

 _Help,_  said Harriet.

_You can figure something out. Remember, it's not a race._

_Should I greet him?_  wondered Harriet.

 _If you like,_  said Harvey.  _It's your kill._

"Hello, Max," said Harriet, smiling. "Do you know why you're here?"

"Please," whimpered Max. "Let me go."

"Max." Harriet picked up the knife and sat in the chair facing Max. She felt the darkness coming, as she brought the knife closer to Max's throat.

The point of the blade just touched Max's throat as Harriet held the blade perfectly level underneath Max's chin. She used the knife to tilt his face up so their eyes met each other's.

"I'm not going to let you go, Max. Now I'll ask you again. Do you know why you're here?"

"No," said Max quietly. "I don't."

"I think you do, Max." She held the knife up to his cheek. "Why are you here?"

"I don't know," whispered Max.

"Yes, you do Max. You do. If you don't tell me why you're here, I'm going to hurt you."

Max broke. He started screaming and crying. "Don't hurt me! DON'T HURT ME!! I don't know why I'm here!"

Harriet sighed. "I'll give you one more chance, Max. If you don't tell me why you're here, I'm going to cut you. Why are you here?"

"Please, please, I don't know!" cried Max. "I don't know!" He felt the point of the knife go into his cheek. He had to try something. Fast.

"TO DIE!" yelled Max.

Harriet stopped abruptly.

"What did you say, Max?" she asked.

"To die," gasped Max. "I'm here to die!"

"That's right, Max." Harriet threw the knife to the floor. "See? I knew you knew. You just needed a little...persuasion."

Max was sobbing again. "You're insane!" he cried.

Harriet just sat there. She felt the darkness drain from her.

 _What now?_  asked Harriet.

 _Keep going,_  replied Harvey.  _You're doing really well._

Harriet tried to bring the darkness back up in her, but she choked on it a little bit.

_You okay?_

Harriet cleared her throat.  _Yeah._

_Don't force it. It'll come naturally._

Harriet got back up and started looking through the pile of torture weapons. She felt strange about torture without the darkness in her.

 _Try the lighter,_  advised Harvey.

Harriet picked up the lighter, but she didn't know what to do with it.

 _Turn it on,_  Harvey told her.

There was a click, and a small flame appeared.

 _Now put your hand right overtop of it,_  pressed Harvey.

 _No, thanks. That would hurt!_  Then Harriet smiled as the realization of what Harvey was trying to get her to do sunk in.

She went back over and stood by Max. She flicked the lighter on and watched the flame.

Max shook his head and cried. "No!" he begged. No more! Please, don't!"

Harriet let go of the button on the lighter, and the flame went out.

Harvey and his new friends looked at each other, wondering what she was doing.

The Dark Lord was going to send her a mind message, but Harvey stopped him. "Let it go."

The Dark Lord backed up a bit.

"Let's see how she does," added Harvey with a smile.

Harriet knocked her chair aside, being careful not to break it. For some reason, she felt like she was supposed to stand up for this one. She circled Max.

"Don't be a child, Max," she said in her soft, quiet voice. She stood in front of him, showing him the flame again. "It's just fire. It doesn't even hurt that much."

"Yeah, right," said Max. "Prove it."

"Now, Max," said Harriet. "You know this is going to happen, whether you want it to or not, and you're going to have to cooperate."

Max was shaking his head, and Harriet felt the darkness flash in, out, and then back in again as she looked at the flame, getting ready to burn Max.

 _Do it, quick,_  pressed Harvey.  _While you've got the darkness in you!_

Harriet knelt on the floor and put the flame close to Max's hand. Max shook his head as tears fell down his face. Harriet held it closer...closer...closer...a low sob escaped from Max's mouth.

Harriet was getting close to making Max scream. Then, all of a sudden, she felt the darkness disappear. She accidentally dropped the lighter in a puddle, and the flame went out.

"Damn," muttered Harriet.

 _Don't worry,_  said Harvey.

Harriet turned around to get another torture instrument, but as she did so, she not only tripped over her chair, she flew over it, landing stomach down on the floor. Her chin was no more than a centimetre away from the nail, which had the point sticking straight up from the floor where Harvey had left it.

Her reaction was immediate. Her eyes opened wide, her stomach did a weird 360 spin, and she jumped right up.

She left the warehouse to put herself back together again.

Harvey was at her side in a second.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I...I think so." Harriet took a deep breath.

"Just sit down for a minute, okay?"

They both plopped down in the grass.

Harriet tried to relax. She felt the darkness flash in and out several times.

Eventually, she was ready to go back inside. Harvey left her, and she headed back inside.

Max had tear stains on his cheeks, but it didn't look as if he was crying anymore. He looked Harriet up and down. She shuffled from foot to foot.

She picked up the chair and put it back in the kill position. Then she picked up the knife, which had fallen several inches away. It still had a bit of blood on it, where the tip had gone into Max's cheek.

She examined the knife, then brought the jar of salt over.

Max stared curiously at Harriet.

Harriet glared back at him, trying to show him that she was dangerous, even if she had made a mistake.

Max continued to look back at her.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Harriet Whitaker," she said.

She thrust the knife forward, so that the tip of the knife was right under his nose, but not touching him. She watched the fear flash in his eyes as she did so.

It excited her, and the darkness came back into her. It was brilliant.

She then caressed his cheek with the side of the knife, very slowly brought it down to his neck, then to his chest, and cut open his shirt.

Max suddenly looked terrified. "You're not going to rape me, are you?"

Harriet couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing. "Of course not!" she laughed.

Max cleared his throat. So did Harriet, wiping away her tears of laughter. She made her go straight, all business again.

Max had tears rolling down his cheeks, too, but for a different reason.

Harriet touched his chest with the point of the knife, but didn't cut him yet.

She put the knife in several different places, then finally cut him, a very small cut, right above his nipple. Max whimpered and moaned and cried.

"Shhh, don't cry," said Harriet, wiping a tear from his cheek. Her voice didn't sound exactly the way she wanted it to, but she figured she could work on that.

Then she opened the jar of salt, took out a small pinch, and rubbed it right into the place where she had cut. Max cried out loud.

Harriet continued, finding all the right places, or at least looking for all the right places to cut.

Max screamed and cried.

Harriet continued for close to 2 hours. When she felt as if she was done, there was a little bit of blood in the jar of salt, which was almost gone, Max was begging to die, and the knife was dripping with blood, which also coated Harriet's hands. The darkness had flashed in and out of her several times, and she felt alive with power.

She took a deep breath, then went back to the pile of weapons, picked up the hammer and nail, and held the nail up in front of Max's face as she sat down.

"Do you know what this is, Max?" she asked him.

"A nail." Max's voice wavered.

Harriet nodded. "That's right."

She pressed the point of her thumb right up against Max's rib. Then she removed her thumb and put the nail right where it had been.

Max shook his head. "No," he begged. "No, please!"

"Shh," Harriet soothed him. "It's almost over."

The darkness flickered out, but right back in again.

Harriet hammered the nail right into his rib, breaking it. Max screamed at the top of his lungs. Harriet waited for Max to stop screaming, then hammered the nail into the same rib on the opposite side. She did this over and over again. When she was finished, the nail was wet with blood and she had broken six of his ribs.

She then hammered the nail into his left foot, then pulled it out and hammered it into his right foot.

Then she put the nail on top of his head, and said "Shhh" one last time.

Then she said, "No more screaming, no more worries, no more tears, no more pain, no more life," right before she hammered the nail into his head, killing him.

 

 

********

 

 

**Hope you guys enjoyed!**


	34. Chapter 34-The Plan

Twister couldn't watch her best friend kill an innocent man.

 

 

She went to the basketball courts at the park. She invited Lois Thomas to come with her.

 

 

They played basketball for about ten or fifteen minutes, then they went to Wendy's to get chocolate frosties.

 

 

Right in the middle of their frosties, Twister suddenly said, "I get it."

 

 

She said it so quietly that Lois Thomas couldn't be sure he'd heard her right.

 

 

"What?" he asked.

 

 

"The Lauren thing. I get it."

 

 

"You do?"

 

 

Twister nodded. "I guess...I guess I was just scared before. I didn't want you to get hurt." She gulped. "But I've been thinking about it, and I talked to the boss-"

 

 

"You told the boss?" cried Lois.

 

 

"Don't worry. She has a plan to help you."

 

 

"She does?" A hint of a smile appeared on Lois's lips.

 

 

Twister nodded. "I think it'll work. On Wednesday, when everybody else is at that party, you sneak out and visit Lauren. You need to get her away from the house, to a hotel or something. Once you've told her the whole truth about her boyfriend, and she believes you, the boss will erase all three of our minds."

 

 

Lois smiled. "Sounds good to me." He ate a few more bites of his frostie. Then the smile dropped from his face, and his spoon fell to the floor. He did not pick it up. He suddenly looked very confused. "Wait, you said all three of our minds. It's just me and you whose minds would need to be erased. Isn't it?"

 

 

"Well," said Twister slowly. "There is one other person."

 

 

"Who?"


	35. Chapter 35-Celebration

Harriet felt the darkness slowly drain from her. She remained seated. She took deep breaths, letting the darkness get out of her easily.

When the darkness was all out of her, she looked at Max and cocked her head.

Remembering every bang of the hammer, every scream, she felt a little strange now, different.

She examined her hands, which were coated with blood.

Harvey came in then.

"Harvey!" Harriet ran up to him and hugged him around the neck.

Harvey hugged her back.

"I did it," she said in disbelief. "I did it."

Harvey helped her clean up.

"I did it," Harriet said again, as they walked out to the car. It seemed like that would be all she would be able to say anymore.

"You did it," said Harvey.

"I did it."

"How was it?"

"I...I did it."

"Breathe," said Harvey.

Harriet took a shaky breath.

"Damn," she whispered.

Harvey burst into laughter and held open the car door for her.

As they started driving, Harriet said, "It was...weird."

"Interesting."

"I'm hungry."

"Feeling the effects of the kill, huh?"

"What effects?"

"You'll always be hungry after the kill. I know I am."

Harriet looked at him. "What other effects are there?"

"Usually just hunger."

"Oh."

"We'll talk some more when we get to the restaurant."

"Restaurant?"

Harvey chuckled. "What are you in the mood for?"

"I'm not sure."

 

^^^

 

They went to moxie's. That way the Ringmaster had many choices of what to eat.

The young woman behind the counter sat them in the booth by the window.

"Thank you," said Harvey.

"Your waiter will be with you shortly," said the woman. She handed them the menus and left, winking at Harvey as she went.

"She was flirting with you," whispered Harriet.

Harvey opened his menu and didn't say another word, but Harriet heard him chuckle. She hid her face in her menu as well.

Then Harvey heard a familiar voice. "Hey, Coop."

Harvey looked up. "Hello, Demitri."

Harriet was about to say something, but Harvey sent her a mind message to stop her.

After Harvey told Demitri they needed more time, he usuered her back to the car and they drove away.

He groaned. "I can't believe Demitri is working there!"

"Who was that?"

"Demitri. He thinks he's got the goods."

"Maybe he does."

"What?"

"I'm just saying, he was kinda cute."

Harvey shot her a look. Harriet couldn't bear to see him in a bad mood, so she said, "I did it."

"Yes, you did," said Harvey, smiling, and Harriet knew it had worked.

They drove up to the Jackastors then, which was only about 5 minutes away from the Moxie's, and less than 30 minutes away from where Harvey lived.

Their waitress was a beautiful young woman named Layla.

They ordered two root beers. As soon as Layla was gone, Harvey took a nail out of his pocket. It was clean, but a little bit rusty.

"Now, the nail is a common villain tradition," he said. "I don't know who first came up with it, but I do know it works."

Harriet was examining the nail as Harvey was talking, turning it over and over in her hands.

"The reason it works so well is because it's such a simple thing, yet you can do so much damage with it, as you've experienced for yourself."

Then Layla showed up with their drinks and they ordered their meals. Then Layla disappeared again.

"There are two ways you can do it. The classic way, which is a hammer and nail, or the advanced way, which is a nail gun."

"I think I like the classic way."

"I agree. The classic way makes them scream more. But I would like to make a suggestion, because I saw how you killed Max. I saw you hammer a nail into his head, and I want to know, is that how you're going to kill your victims from now on?"

Harriet smiled. "I think so."

"I think we should buy you a nail gun, at least for that part. What do you think?"

Harriet shrugged. "Okay."

"We'll do a separate shopping trip for the nail gun and all that kind of stuff."

"Sounds good."

Their meals came. Harvey had a steak. Harriet had the chicken parmigiana. They made a toast to Harriet's first kill.

They talked more about killing and torture techniques for several hours straight, ending their meals with several pieces of cake each.

When Harvey finally looked at the time, it was almost 4:00.

"Wow, where does the time go?" he wondered. "I should get back to Lauren, or at least call her so she knows where I am."

He popped open his cell phone.

 

^^^

 

Lauren checked the number. She was afraid it might be Lois Thomas. Seeing that it was only Cooper, she knew she was safe.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey, Lauren," said Cooper. "I just wanted you to know, I finished up at work, but I'm gonna hang here for a little while."

"Sure, stay as long as you want. But hurry home. Then again, don't feel rushed."

Harvey chuckled. "It's okay, Lauren. I know what you're trying to say."

"See you when I see you."

They hung up, and Lauren went to get a snack.

 

 

\---------------

 

 

**okay, so here's the next part. Who's mind do you think the boss has to erase? Also, what do you think the Ringmaster is feeling now that she killed somebody?**

**< 3**


	36. Chapter 36-Jared

Jared barely slept during the night. He woke up several times drenched in sweat, shaking. It took him almost 20 minutes to calm down every time. One time, he screamed himself awake.

He kept having dreams where various people from Darkstar Corporations chased him down and killed him.

He had a hell of a time getting to sleep, and part of him didn't want to.

By the time Jared was up for good, he was scared out of his wits. He turned on the tv, but could hardly focus.

He jumped at every sound. He checked out everything with a flashlight in one hand and a large knife in the other. He didn't answer the telephone or doorbell.

 

^^^

 

Jared wasn't the only one awake that night, either.

After over three hours of glorious celebration by the entire crew of Darkstar Corp., even Lois and Twister, featuring pizza and chocolate cake, the boys had dragged Harvey in front of the tv to watch the game.

He hadn't gotten home until almost eleven at night.

Even after such a busy day, he was still wide awake.

After Lauren had fallen asleep, he gave Emily Rose another nightmare. Then he monitored Lauren's dreams for a while, and was very surprised at what he saw and heard.

Lauren had mentioned Jared a couple of times, but that disappeared as she had fallen deeper and deeper in love with Harvey.

Harvey had remembered how she had said Jared knew so much about Darkstar Corp.

In Lauren's dream, she was somewhat replaying her visit with Jared in her head, asking about Darkstar Corp. again, and later, when she woke up, she couldn't stop thinking:

Why did I go there? Now I'm even more confused.

At least, that was what Harvey heard. He got out of her head right after she woke up.

He sat, perfectly still, at the end of her bed. She yawned, rubbed her eyes, and threw the covers back.

"Hi," whispered Harvey.

Lauren cried, "Geez!" and jumped right up. "Coop, you scared the hell out of me!"

"Sorry," said Harvey. "I didn't mean to. You okay?"

"I'll forgive you if you make breakfast," said Lauren, and even in the dark, Harvey could hear the smile in her voice.

He got up and listened to the radio while he was making breakfast.

Lauren came out, already dressed, and started dancing.

Then she set the table and Harvey served up breakfast.

Eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, and hashbrowns. They both ate a large amount of food. When they were finished, and they were leaning against the table, staring across at each other, Harvey glanced up at the clock. It was almost ten.

"I gotta get going," he said.

"Where to?" asked Lauren.

"Work."

"But you were gone all day yesterday!" cried Lauren.

"I have an idea. I'll be home before 2:00, and we'll spend some quality time together, okay? I'm sorry." He kissed her. "I know it seems like I'm always gone. I still love you." They kissed again, this time longer, and Harvey climbed in his truck.

Lauren waved after him until he disappeared around a corner.

 

^^^

 

Harvey pulled up in front of Jared's house about an hour later. Of course, his first thought was that Jared had a nice house. Too bad he wouldn't be alive to enjoy it much longer.

Jared had turned off all the lights to make it look like he wasn't home. Smart guy, thought Harvey. He caught Jared's mind signal, so he could tell that Jared was at home.

He grumbled to himself as he got his black bag out of the back of the big red pickup truck. He hated doing unplanned kills, spur of the moment kills.

He preferred set kills. He needed them to be particularly put together beforehand.

The other part that Harvey also hated was Jared's thinking pattern.

Jared was already incredibly scared with a capital S. He also had this feeling and thought pattern like he knew his doom was coming. That was very annoying.

Harvey preferred his victims to not know what was going on at first, not to feel threatened at first, to feel safe until the last possible second, and not to be accepting of their deaths. He had to admit, it was a lot more fun if they put up a fight.

Oh, well. Maybe he could make this one interesting. He climbed out of the car, crouched in the bushes, and watched the house through his binoculars.

Harvey knelt down and picked up a rock. He chuckled to himself, then threw it at the house. It shattered the small window right above the front door.

Then he sat back to watch the results.

Back inside the house, Jared flipped out. He jumped back, screaming. Then he picked up the rock and used his flashlight to examine it all over, as if to make sure it was real.

"Oh, shit, oh, shit, oh shit," he moaned, dropping the rock.

He grabbed his knife, then went very quietly towards the back and went out. Harvey waited patiently for the opening that would give him a chance to go inside.

Jared's hand tightened on the knife. He other hand shook so much that he almost dropped the flashlight.

"Who's there?" asked Jared, trying to keep his voice steady. "Who are you? What do you want from me?" Tears began to roll down his face.

Harvey heard millions of cusses run through Jared's mind, as well as words like "breathe" and "relax."

Jared slowly crept around to the front, still terrified. He was beginning to wonder if there was even anyone there.

By the time he had finished inspecting the damage done to his window, he had managed to convince himself he was just a victim of a prank done by some bored teenagers. Oh, by the time this was over, how he was going to wish that was the case.

He was about to go back inside when Harvey picked up a stick and snapped it in half.

Crack! Jared heard it and dropped his flashlight as he spun around. He cussed under his breath. He held up his knife as he started to creep over to the bushes. When he was 5 or 6 feet away from the house, Harvey decided that was his cue. He disappeared and then reappeared in the house.

The bushes rustled. Jared crept closer. He got ready to use the knife. The bushes shook some more. Jared raised the knife.

A rabbit hopped out of the bushes and sniffed around. Jared lowered the knife, sighing with relief. The rabbit took one look at Jared and hopped away. Jared went back into his house, picking up his flashlight as he went.

He wasn't very scared now, he just felt stupid. There was nobody there. It was just a rabbit.

He went back into his house. He heard something. Complete silence. He was sure he'd left the tv on. He went into the living room and turned the tv back on.

Perhaps he had flicked it off and not remembered. Yes, that must be it.

Suddenly, he heard a smash coming from the kitchen. The sound of glass breaking. Jared jumped.

"What the hell?" he hissed, and his voice wavered.

He shook his head as he went to the kitchen. "There's nobody there," he said again and again.

And there wasn't. But one of the cupboards was open and a glass was broken on the ground. But the strangest part was the way it was broken. It was broken exactly in half, and the two halves were exactly the same. It was a clean cut. There were no sharp edges. He was just leaning down to inspect it when it went back up and landed on the counter in one piece.

He shook as he picked up the glass and looked at it. It wasn't a trick. The glass was whole. It was as if it was never broken. He put it back down and stepped away from it, knife raised. He tried to breathe. A tear rolled down his cheek as he cussed some more, things like "Fucking hell!" and "What the shit?"

His heart sped up. All of a sudden, his double door fridge flew open. Stuff started flying out of it and breaking.

His instincts told him to run. He did. He ran all the way to his front door. There was a man blocking it. Jared screamed and ran the other way.

"Good root beer," said someone from his right.

Jared screamed and spun around. The man was standing against the refridgerator, which had its doors closed. He was drinking a bottle of root beer.

Jared raised his knife. "Get the hell out of my house!"

Harvey raised his hands defensively. "I resent that." He flashed a charming smile. "Is that any way to treat a visitor?"

"What do you want?"

"First, I want you to lower the knife. I just wanna talk."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"I just want to talk with you. If you don't believe me, I'll even let you hold onto the knife. Just please don't point it at me."

Jared slowly lowered the knife. Then he turned on the kitchen light.

"Let's go into the living room," said Harvey. "It's probably more comfortable in there."

Jared followed Harvey into the living room and turned on some lights, still gripping the knife tight in case he needed it.

They sat down in the living room across from each other. Jared put the knife down beside him, but kept one hand on it.

Harvey smiled at Jared in his friendly way.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I don't know yet." Jared's voice shook.

"You don't have to be scared. I just want to talk."

Jared nodded.

"Why don't you start by telling me your name?"

"Jared Malkovich."

"And where do you work, Jared?"

"At a bank."

"Why aren't you at work?"

"I didn't go."

Harvey cocked his head. "Tell me about that."

"I told them I was sick, but really, I was too scared to go." Jared was afraid to lie to Harvey.

"Why were you scared to go to work?"

"I'm in a bit of trouble."

"Tell me about that. Why would you be in trouble? You seem pretty innocent to me."

"Someone's after me."

"Was there someone in your house yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"An ex-girlfriend of mine. Lauren."

"Why was she here?"

"At first I thought she'd come to take me back, but she really wanted some information."

"What about?"

"Darkstar Corp."

"And who do you think is after you?"

"Someone from Darkstar Corp," whispered Jared, then burst into tears. "You've got to help me," he begged. "I think somebody's after me!"

"Okay, Jared, it's okay. Just relax and tell me what you told Lauren."

Jared tried to control his tears as he sobbed. "She wanted to know...she was with someone...from Darkstar Corp...she...could she trust them...I said...no! And now someone's after me and you've gotta help me!" Jared collapsed to his knees in front of Harvey, his tears were flowing freely now. Jared sat there, head hung, hands and knees pressed against the floor, begging Harvey for help.

Harvey was momentarily stunned into silence. None of his victims had ever begged him for help before. Then Jared said something that interested Harvey even more:

"I'm still in love with Lauren."

Then it was quiet, except for Jared's sobs. Harvey opened his mouth to say something, but Jared beat him to it.

"Kill me," said Jared. "Please kill me." He held out the knife to Harvey. "I want to die, but I'm too scared to kill myself. Please kill me."

Harvey slowly reached out and took the knife. "Turn around," he told Jared.

Jared stood up and turned around. Harvey put the knife blade against Jared's throat.

"Close your eyes," Harvey said gently.

Jared did. He was shaking all over.

"Shh," Harvey soothed him. "It'll be over quick."

A tear rolled down Jared's cheek.

"By the way, I'm the guy from Darkstar Corp," said Harvey. Then he slit Jared's throat.

Harvey wandered into Jared's kitchen, putting the knife-now painted with blood-back into the block. Then he dug in Jared's freezer. He ate 3 large bowls of chocolate ice cream.

Then he went out to his car, picked his binoculars up from the bushes where he'd left them, walked out to the street and his truck, got in and sped away. As he drove away from Jared's house, he took one look back, thinking that was the best unplanned kill he'd ever had.

 

******

 

**Okay, so Jared is dead. Guess we don't have to worry about erasing his mind anymore.**


	37. Chapter 37-The Wedding Ring

Harvey and Lauren went out for Chinese food for lunch. They took Harvey's motorcycle. Harvey's trenchcoat flapped out behind him as Lauren clung to him.

 

 

 

They had a long lunch with lots of talking. Harvey promised Lauren he would do anything Lauren wanted, and she wanted to get a wedding ring.

 

 

 

So, right after lunch, around 2:15, they went out to the jewelery store, which was right around the corner.

 

 

 

A 19 year old boy was at the counter.

 

 

 

"Hey, can I help you guys?" he asked, with a friendly smile.

 

 

 

"Yeah," said Lauren. "We'd like to see your wedding rings, please."

 

 

 

"Right this way," the boy said, leading them to a section in the back of the store.

 

 

 

They looked through case after case, until finally they found the perfect ring.

 

 

 

When Lauren wasn't paying attention, Harvey got it engraved. It said "I LOVE YOU LAUREN" around the band.


	38. Chapter 38-Basketball

When Lauren found out what Harvey had done, she kissed him and was very happy. She slipped it on her finger.

Then they headed to the park.

They sat on the benches and watched the kids play.

"Have you ever thought about having kids?" asked Lauren.

"Once in a while," said Harvey.

"What would they be like?"

"Well, they would be invincible." Lauren giggled. "They would be very smart, and someday they would take over the world."

Lauren burst into laughter. "You wish!"

"Alright then, what would yours be like?"

"Well...they would have my looks and your heart." Harvey just stared at her for a moment. Then he leaned over and kissed Lauren.

Then Harvey heard a young boy's voice coming from the middle of the playground.

"I can beat anyone here!" he called. "Who wants to take me on?"

"Hey, you!" called Harvey, and the kid looked over. "That sounds like a challenge."

"Fine." The kid tossed the ball, and Harvey caught it. "You versus me." He smiled. "We'll play until five points."

Harvey threw the ball towards the court, and they both ran to get it. The kid dove for the ball, then fought to hold onto it. Harvey got in front of him, but he ducked around and tossed it in.

Harvey caught it as it bounced off. The kid kept getting in front of him, trying to block him, Harvey tried to get around, but the kid blocked him, tried to grab the ball from him, but Harvey tossed it over the kid's head and into the basket.

The ball went back and forth for several minutes without anyone scoring a point.

Then Harvey dunked it in. In the same thirty seconds, the kid grabbed the ball, threw it over Harvey's head, and it went into the basket.

In the end, Harvey won, but the kid was a pretty tough competitor. The score was 3:5.

After the game, they all talked for a few minutes. The kid's name was Jason, and his mother's name was Lizzie.

Harvey had half a mind to ask if she believed in Bloody Mary, but he kept his mouth shut.

Instead he tried to teach Jason how to spin the ball on his finger while the girls talked, but Jason was having a tough time.

"You'll get it," Harvey assured him. Jason didn't look very convinced.

Then Lizzie and Lauren came over.

"Come on, Jason," said Lizzie. "Me and Jason are going out for ice cream sandwiches. Want to come?" she asked.

Harvey and Lauren exchanged a look. "Sure."

 

 

\----------------

 

 

**The reason I have provided you guys with a few extra chapters is because I am not uploading again until after the christmas holidays. See you guys in a few weeks. Happy holidays!**

 

**xoxo <3**


	39. Chapter 39-Drive-In

Harvey, Lauren, Jason, and Lizzie laughed and talked through ice cream from Dairy Queen, as well as sodas.

 

After that, they parted ways. Jason had a dentist's appointment to go to, and Lauren wanted to go somewhere for dinner.

 

They ended up getting Chinese food.

 

By this time, Harvey wasn't thinking about Jared at all. The kill he had made only hours before was now in his subconscious, if even that.

 

Lauren and Harvey talked, ate, and play-fought with their chopsticks.

 

By the time they went off for their fourth plates from the buffet, Jared was the last thing on Harvey's mind.

 

Harvey and Lauren were really enjoying themselves. Time flew. They spent more time talking than eating, enjoying each other's company. By the time they tapped into the dessert section, it was almost seven.

 

At 8:30, they got the bill and their fortune cookies.

 

"What does yours say?" asked Harvey.

 

"Your secrets are not as bad as you may think," read Lauren.

 

"Secrets?" asked Harvey.

 

Lauren dropped the paper on the table and took a bite of the cookie. "What does yours say?" she asked.

 

Harvey cracked open the cookie. "Your lucky numbers: 3, 13, 15, 20, and 681."

 

Then he stuck it in his pocket.

 

He hadn't read the whole thing, though. It said one of his lucky numbers was 666, which was the mark of the devil.

 

 

^^^

 

 

They went to the drive-in theatre. They saw a double feature: Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King.

 

Harvey turned the radio all the way up.

 

Lauren and Harvey had seen Beauty and the Beast a bunch of times, so they repeated lines to each other, and sang and danced along to the songs.

 

During the Lion King, which neither of them had seen before, Lauren was completely transfixed. She stuffed her mouth with popcorn and M&Ms, but did not take her eyes off the screen, except once or twice to kiss Harvey.

 

Once the movie did start, however. The Lion King started about 15 minutes late.

 

After about 10 minutes of waiting, people started throwing popcorn and pretzels at the screen.

 

Lauren stared at the screen, confused and a little annoyed.

 

Then Harvey grabbed her popcorn from her.

 

"Hey!" cried Lauren. She spun around and tried to grab it back. She laughed, looking fiercely determined as Harvey dodged her, ducking, running around the parking lot, throwing a piece or two of popcorn at the screen.

 

Some of the people around them starting watching and laughing at Harvey and Lauren.

 

There were two boys with their girlfriends sitting near Harvey and Lauren.

 

One of the boys, who had already had an eye on Harvey's truck, nudged his friend when the fight started. Soon all four of them were watching the fight and stealing each other's popcorn.

 

At the end, Harvey accidentally dropped Lauren's popcorn. Lauren went up to him, and he thought Lauren was angry at him. At this point, the teens began getting affectionate with each other.

 

Lauren glared at Harvey for a second, then pulled him forward and kissed him just as the movie started.

 

People clapped, whistled, and cheered. Someone snickered.


	40. Chapter 40-The Ringmaster's Dream

The Ringmaster dreamt about killing Max on Saturday night.

 

 

 

 

Well, sort of. It wasn't mainly about Max. It was about Harvey. About being with Harvey. Harvey's instructions. Killing with Harvey.

 

 

 

 

She was just getting to the best part of her dream-the kiss-her lips were inches away from Harvey's-when she heard the words, "Wake up!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**A/N: Sorry about the short chapter, I'll try to make the next one longer. Also, I am dedicating each chapter to a commenter. But you have to comment to get a dedication.**


	41. Chapter 41-Hired

The next couple of days were not very eventful. Harvey got one call from Black Dawn and one from the Silver Masquerade, both telling him to show up early on Wednesday.

The most interesting thing happened on Monday afternoon, when Harvey was in his store.

On Thursday evening, he had put up a "Help Wanted" sign in the window of his store.

He did not get any responses-that is, until Monday afternoon.

Harvey didn't have many customers that afternoon, of course, because everyone was either at school or at work.

There were mostly just teenagers that Harvey assumed were just playing hookey from school, and several women with children too young to be in school.

During a particularly thin crowd, (around 3:30) where there were only several teenagers messing around near the chips, a 15-year old boy walked in, carrying the sign.

The boy looked very confident. He also looked much older than 15. Maybe it was because he was wearing a suit and tie.

In his other hand, the boy was holding his resume. His hair was clean-Harvey could tell-and he was wearing cologne.

The boy put the sign and his resume down on the counter without a word, then took a step back.

Harvey smiled at him. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?" he asked.

"Hi," said the boy quietly.

Harvey pulled out a chair for him, and sat down on the counter himself.

"Sit down. Tell me about yourself."

He locked the front door, so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"My name is Conner Mackenzie Duvall," said the boy. "I borrowed the suit from my dad. My parents said if I get a real job, I don't have to go to school anymore." He gave a little laugh. "I really don't like school."

"Who does," said Harvey.

"I'm the help you want," said Conner, now completely at ease.

"Well, we'll just see about that," said Harvey. He stood up, picked up Conner's resume, and took a look at it. It was 5 pages long. Conner had written his qualities, and minor as well as major achievements. Harvey read his mind signal as well. Conner had the kind of personality, qualities, and attitude he looked for in his employees.

Harvey winked at Conner. "Welcome aboard."

 

********

 

**A/N: This is just kind of a filler chapter. I'll try and make the next one more interesting.**


	42. Chapter 42-The Milk Carton

"Come on," Carter urged Harvey. "Tip it over."

 

 

 

"You can do it!" cried Jason.

 

 

 

Harvey continued to glare at the milk carton. "Tip...over..." he said.

 

 

 

He was just about to tip it over, when all of a sudden-

 

 

 

"What are you doing?"

 

 

 

**I want to write a fanfiction, but I don't know if I should do Despicable Me or Wreck-It Ralph. What do you think? Please leave your ideas down below in the comments.**

 

 

**< 3**

 

 

**A/N: How old do you think Harvey is in this chapter?**

 

 

**< 3**


	43. Chapter 43-A Story For A Friend

On Wednesday morning, Harvey was at the castle by 6:00. He loaded five large textbooks and a large box full of papers into the back of his truck, then put a hand on it, flashing them both to the castle. He picked up the stuff and carried it inside.

 

Black Dawn opened the drawbridge for Harvey, and went straight to the Ringmaster’s room, put everything on the floor, closed the door, and turned on the light. Then he sat on the Ringmaster’s bed and waited for her to wake up. It didn’t take long.

 

The Ringmaster made some noises and opened her eyes. Her eyes opened wide when she saw Harvey, and a smile appeared on her face. “Harvey!” she cried happily, and hugged him. Then she put her hat on. “You didn’t have to be here for at least another 2 hours!”

 

“Yeah, well, I wanted to see you.”

 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a nail, and handed it to the Ringmaster.

 

The Ringmaster looked at him. “What is this?”

 

“A souvenir from your first kill. I thought you might want to keep it.”

 

“Whoa! Thank you so much!”

 

Harvey shrugged. “No problem. I thought you might want it.”

 

“It’s great! Thanks, Harvey.” Then she looked at him again. “That’s not all you came in here for, is it?”

 

Harvey laughed. “Of course not!” He picked up the textbooks. “I wanted to give you these.”

 

The Ringmaster looked at the textbooks. The titles were:

 

1\. An Introduction To Killing And Torture

 

2\. It’s All You: A Beginner’s Guide To Torture

 

3\. Make Them Fear You

 

4\. Screaming, Crying, Bleeding And Begging Part 1

 

5\. Tools Of The Trade

 

“I got them all from my father,” said Harvey. “These are the books he schooled me with.”

 

“That’s so cool!” said the Ringmaster. “Thanks so much, Harvey!”

 

“No problem,” said Harvey. “I also brought you these.” Harvey heaved the huge box up onto the bed.

 

The Ringmaster pushed it off to the side so they could see each other. “What are they?” she asked.

 

“They’re files and reports on all my kills, from my first ever to my most recent. I have a lot of other boxes, but I couldn’t bring them all today, so I figured you could start with that.”

 

The Ringmaster stared at Harvey in disbelief. “Seriously?”

 

Harvey nodded. “I can help you do your own, if you want. I can help you do one on Max, plus all the people you’ve killed with a gun.”

 

“Later.” The Ringmaster sounded eager. “Right now, I wanna hear about some of yours.”

 

“Okay.” Harvey looked thoughtful. “Let’s see...what’s a really good story?” He smiled. “Shane Johnson! That’s a really good one.”

 

The Ringmaster leaned forward in anticipation.

 

“Okay, so there was this kid, Shane Johnson, and one day he came into the forest. Well, I just happened to be sitting up in a tree, waiting for a victim, so when I saw him, you can just imagine what I thought.”

 

But the Ringmaster didn’t have to imagine. She saw the look in his eyes, and she just knew...

 

 

********

 

 

Shane was 17, and Harvey was 12. Shane would see a young child, eager to play with him. He would not suspect the child was eager to kill.

 

Shane had come out to the forest to take a nature walk, and hopefully see some animals. Harvey saw the camera around Shane’s neck and fingered his own camera. He’d been waiting for about an hour, taking pictures of trees.

 

He made sure the flash was off, then snapped a picture of Shane for his file.

 

“Here we go,” he muttered. “What are you doing down there?” he called to Shane.

 

Shane looked up and saw him in the tree. He smiled.

 

“What are you doing up there?” he called.

 

“I asked you first!” called Harvey, gripping the branch.

 

“I’m looking for animals,” said Shane.

 

“Hey, me, too!” called Harvey.

 

“We can look together,” said Shane.

 

“Okay!” said Harvey excitedly.

 

“Come on down!”

 

“Hang on!” Harvey grabbed the tree trunk and climbed down to a lower branch. All of a sudden, he slipped as the branch cracked. He cried out, then hung on with both hands.

 

Shane gasped. “Hang on, I’m coming up!” he called.

 

“Help!” young Harvey cried urgently.

 

Shane grabbed a branch and climbed up to where Harvey was. He held out his arm. “Grab on, quick!” he said.

 

Harvey put his arms around Shane’s neck and they climbed back down the tree.

 

“You okay, kid?” asked Shane.

 

“Yeah, I think so. Thanks.”

 

 

*********

 

 

“...He was scared for me, when he really should’ve been worried about himself,” said Harvey. He stared at the Ringmaster, who was mesmerized by his story.

 

“Would you have.....died?” asked the Ringmaster. She could hardly utter the last word.

 

“Probably not.” Harvey waved the matter off as if it was nothing. “I was only 10 feet off the ground. Maybe I would’ve broken my leg or something. It wasn’t the first time one of my victims saved me, and it wouldn’t be the last. That’s another good reason to surround yourself with people.” They both laughed. “Anyway...”

 

 

*******

 

 

Shane and Harvey introduced themselves-Harvey was Harvey, Shane was going to die soon-and then they went off into the forest. They didn’t see many animals, except for birds, and Harvey talked most of the time, taking advantage of any opportunities for conversation.

 

Shane didn’t seem to mind-he seemed content to listen, and when Harvey asked him questions, he answered.

 

“How old are you, anyway?” asked Shane.

 

“Twelve.”

 

Shane adjusted his binoculars. “Isn’t your mom expecting you home for lunch?”

 

“No.”

 

Shane smiled. “Saturdays are the best, aren’t they?”

 

“Sorta.”

 

They walked in silence for a few minutes, then Shane spoke again.

 

“Getting hungry?”

 

“A little bit.”

 

“Wanna break for lunch?” asked Shane.

 

“Sure.”

 

Harvey had brought a large blue lunchbox. The boys sat down below the trees and took off their bags. They put their stuff down and took out their lunches. Shane had a bologna sandwich, a strawberry pop tart, an apple, and a cup of chocolate pudding.

 

Harvey frowned at Shane’s lunch, then poured out his own. He had a box of cupcakes, cookies, cashews, chocolate milk, and gummy bears.

 

“My parents don’t know I took all this junk,” said Harvey. “Let’s eat!”

 

The boys chowed down on candy and chocolate.

 

“This is the best lunch I’ve ever had!” laughed Shane. “Is this the first time you’ve done this?”

 

“Of course not,” said Harvey. “I eat like this all the time!”

 

Shane just stared at Harvey, who slapped another Oreo into his hand.

 

“So, we walked for another hour or so. We saw some animals. A frog, a rabbit, two deer, and some more birds.”

 

“What’s in the black bag?” asked Shane, pointing at the large bag slung over Harvey’s shoulder.

 

“Oh, just some toys to play with later.” Shane didn’t hear the hint of evil in Harvey’s voice or see the darkness gleam in his eyes.

 

“I’m getting kind of tired,” said Shane, looking over at Harvey. “Should we break?”

 

“Hang on,” said Harvey. “Let’s keep going. I have something I want to show you.” He was smiling, looking excited, seeming enthusiastic about something beyond the trees. “I wanna show you my secret place. It’s not too far from here.”

 

 

*******

 

 

“The warehouse,” guessed the Ringmaster.

 

“You bet,” said Harvey.

 

 

*********

 

 

Harvey and Shane walked to the warehouse.

 

“Come on,” said Harvey. “Look, there it is!”

 

“A warehouse?” questioned Shane. “Cool hangout.”

 

“Yeah, it is.”

 

They went inside and Shane checked out the place.  “This place is awesome!”

 

There was a tarp over Harvey’s message. “So, what do you want to do?” asked Harvey. “I have some old horror movies, if you want to watch those.”

 

“No, thanks,” said Shane. His eyes lit up. “Let’s play right now!”

 

Harvey’s eyes lit up as well, but with something different. “Good idea. I’ve been looking forward to playing all day. In fact, like I said earlier, I’ve got my toys right here.” He patted the black bag. “I’ll unload in a minute, but first, sit down.”

 

“Okay,” said Shane brightly, taking a seat, coincidently, in the chair in which Harvey killed his victims.

 

The darkness gleamed in Harvey’s eyes as he smiled at Shane Johnson. Shane didn’t notice.

 

Harvey unzipped his bag. He started pawing through it. Shane leaned over to try and see what was in it without getting up from his seat. He couldn’t really see, but he caught a glint of silver. A pang of fear caught in his stomach.

 

“Um, what exactly is in that bag?” asked Shane, his voice wobbling a bit.

 

“My toys,” said Harvey, smiling to himself at the hint of fear he heard in Shane’s voice.

 

“What kind of toys? Because I think I saw a knife.”

 

“Oh,” said Harvey, pretending to look sheepish. “You saw that, did you? I didn’t really wanna spoil the surprise, but since you already saw it-“

 

Harvey pulled out a knife and the rope.

 

Harvey saw fear in Shane’s eyes. “What is this?”

 

“We’re going to have some fun, Shane.”

 

“No,” said Shane, shaking his head.

 

“Aw, but I can’t play this game alone, Shane. I need another player.”

 

“No!” Shane cried, trying to sound indignant, but he just ended up sounding terrified. He stood up so fast he knocked over the chair. Harvey heard tears in his voice, ready to come out with just a little help...

 

“Shane, please sit down. I’m not going to hurt you if you cooperate. Not yet, anyway.”

 

Harvey could hear Shane breathing hard, trying to relax and be brave, and hopefully find a way out.

 

“What’s wrong? I can’t play this alone.”

 

“Stop,” said Shane quietly.

 

“Come on, Shane. Sit back down. If you cooperate with me, it won’t be so bad. But if you fight it, it’ll be that much worse.”

 

That was when the tears started rolling. “Please, don’t do this,” said Shane.

 

Harvey cocked his head at Shane. “You’re not walking out of this warehouse alive, Shane. Come sit back down. You’re seventeen. Be brave about this. You can handle it. It’s just pain.”

 

Shane shook his head, backing towards the wall. “No.”

 

Harvey sighed. “You know, I’m a pretty good shot with a knife. I’ve been practicing my aim since I was little. I don’t even have to come over to you to hurt you.”

 

“You’re bluffing,” said Shane. He tried to sound strong, but his voice came out tiny.

 

“Excuse me, I didn’t hear you. Do you think I’m bluffing?”

 

Shane nodded.

 

Harvey laughed. His eyes gleamed noticeably with darkness. “Go ahead.” His voice became dark. “Call my bluff.”

 

Shane was shaking. In his head he thought,  _you’re bluffing,_ but he didn’t say anything out loud. He just stared, the fear obvious in his eyes.

 

Harvey sighed again. “You have 10 seconds to come sit down in his chair.”

 

“Or what?” Shane’s voice shook.

 

Harvey smiled darkly. “Guess. 10...9...8...”

 

“Stop it,” choked out Shane.

 

“I’m not doing anything. You’re the one doing it. 7...6...5...4... Come on, Shane. 3...2...1...0.”

 

Shane shut his eyes when he saw the knife coming towards him. He screamed and screamed. The knife slammed into the wall behind him. Shane was stunned into silence for a moment. Then he slowly opened his eyes. The knife had his sleeve pinned to the wall.

 

“Next time,” Harvey said sweetly, “it’ll be your stomach. Now come sit down.”

 

Shane took the knife out of his sleeve and glared at Harvey. “Bad move, Harvey,” he growled.

 

Harvey chuckled. “Game’s not over yet.” He smiled darkly, focusing on Shane. Shane suddenly cried out and fell to his knees, dropping the knife as he tucked his head between his knees, covering it with both his hands, rocking back and forth. He was sobbing.

 

“What the hell are you doing to me?” Shane yelled, looking right at Harvey.

 

 

********

 

 

“I grabbed him and tied his hands behind his back. Then I tied his legs to the legs of the chair. My branding iron was ready by now, so I pulled down his pants and branded his-“

 

“Stop!” cried the Ringmaster.

 

Harvey stopped abruptly. Both of them shared the same smile, the same excited look. The Ringmaster let out a laugh. So did Harvey. Soon they had a small laugh together.

 

Then the Ringmaster said, “Sorry.”

 

“That’s okay. Too much, too fast. I get it.”

 

“Yeah.” It was more a breath than a word. They just stared at each other for a long moment. The Ringmaster was excited by the prospect of having Harvey so close to her.

 

“Wanna get some breakfast?” asked Harvey.

 

“Sure,” said the Ringmaster, after a short moment.

 

 

*******

 

 

**A/N: I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. The next chapter is another important turning point in the story. It might not be posted for another couple of weeks because I have to write it first. Also, sorry I am so late uploading this chapter. I have been extremely busy. I will try and get back to my normal book-writing schedule soon.**

 

**neu=before January 30**


	44. Chapter 44-The Beginning of A New Relationship

**A/N: Hey, guys, so I was unpacking some stuff a few weeks ago, looking for this book specifically. I missed working on this project soooooo much! I love this book, so I dug it up. I hope you guys are ready for this next chapter. Please rate and review. <3**

 

When Twister came down to get some breakfast, she found the Ringmaster absorbed in one of the textbooks Harvey had given her.

 

"What are you reading?" asked Twister.

 

"Take a look." The Ringmaster offered her the textbook.

 

Twister took one look at the page and dropped the book as if it was a poisonous spider.

 

"Let me guess. Harvey."

 

The Ringmaster nodded, attempting to stifle a laugh as she leaned down to pick up the book.

 

"It's not funny," grumbled Twister.

 

Just then, Black Dawn rushed in, looking very excited.

 

"I know this face," mumbled Dark Mortimer.

 

"I've got assignments for the party!" squealed Black Dawn.

 

"Bingo," said Mortimer.

 

Everyone got excited and started talking at once.

 

"Okay, guys, settle down," said Black Dawn, above the chaos.

 

Everybody quickly settled down and listened.

 

"Okay, guys here we go. I've put you all in pairs, since there's an even number of you. I think it's the quickest way to get everything done. The Dark Lord and Frank are on cleanup."

 

The boys groaned.

 

"The Silver Masquerade and Mortimer are on decorating. Decorations are in the basement. Okay, Lois and Twister, you guys are on pinata. Obviously you can't stuff it until the shopping is done. Harvey and I are on cake. Ringmaster, Tom, you guys are going shopping."

 

The Ringmaster choked on a mouthful of cereal. "I'm going shopping with  _him?"_ she asked, obviously annoyed.

 

Tom cleared his throat loudly. "Hello. Your shopping partner is standing right here."

 

"Here. Who wants the list?" asked Black Dawn.

 

They both rushed over, but the Ringmaster beat Tom to it, grabbing it out of Black Dawn's hand.

 

"Give it," said Tom.

 

"Fat chance." The Ringmaster walked a little ways away from Tom and glanced at the list. Tom hurried over to look over her shoulder.

 

"Back up a bit there, cowboy."

 

Tom took two small steps back.

 

"Okay, so everyone finish up your breakfast and then get started on your assignments. The guests aren't going to start arriving until at least 11:30. It's 7:30 now, so you have several hours."

 

"Wait," said the Ringmaster. "Can't I-?"

 

"No backing out of your assignments," said Black Dawn. "And no trading partners. I need everyone's cooperation to make sure this runs smoothly. You're stuck with what you've got. It's only for a few hours." She winked at them. "Okay, let's get a move on, guys."

 

"Hey," said Harvey. "Trust me, Ringmaster, Tom's a great guy. I grew up with him. I think you'll really like him."

 

The Ringmaster just snorted.

 

*******

 

After everyone was finished and the table was cleared, the Ringmaster and Tom stalled for a few minutes. Neither one wanted to be alone with the other. Eventually, though, they decided to go and just get it over with. They were going to have to go sooner or later, and they chose sooner. They left. As soon as they got outside, Tom went to unlock his truck.

 

"No way," said the Ringmaster. "We're taking my truck."

 

"No, we're taking mine," said Tom.

 

"Can I drive your truck?"

 

"Of course not. Are you nuts?"

 

"Then we're taking my truck."

 

"Fine. Let's just go."

 

The Ringmaster climbed into the driver's seat and Tom climbed in beside her.

 

"Nuh-uh. In the back."

 

"Why?" asked Tom.

 

"Because I said so. It's my car, now get in the back."

 

"Fine!" snapped Tom. He stormed to the back of the truck and went to open the door. The Ringmaster locked him out.

 

"Hey, let me in!" cried Tom.

 

The Ringmaster just laughed.

 

"Let me in or I'll break the window!" cried Tom.

 

The Ringmaster let him in.

 

"It's not funny!"

 

They finally got going. On the way there they argued about the radio station. Finally they arrived at their destination.

 

******

 

After breakfast was over, the kitchen cleared out quickly, except for the Ringmaster and Tom, who hovered for several minutes, both seeming hesitant to go shopping with the other. Eventually, though, they left. The Silver Masquerade and Mortimer went to decorate the house after the boss assigned them some rooms. The kitchen was not on the list. Black Dawn sent Frank and the Dark Lord to the other end of the house, and Lois and Twister to help until the shopping was finished. When everyone was gone, she closed the kitchen doors.

 

"Okay," she said to Harvey. "Now that it's just you and me, let's get started."

 

*****

 

The Silver Masquerade and Mortimer started heading down to the basement to get the decorations.

 

"Race you down the stairs!" cried Mortimer.

 

"Oh, you're on," said the Silver Masquerade.

 

The boys rushed down the stairs, Mortimer kicking ahead, Silver right on his tail. Mortimer tripped and almost fell down the remaining stairs, but Silver grabbed his arm and pulled him back. 

 

"Thanks, Silver," said Mortimer.

 

"We never do that again. Agreed?"

 

"Agreed."

 

*****

 

Lois and Twister told the Dark Lord and Frank that it would go faster if they each worked on a different room. Actually, Twister had to get Lois Thomas alone to nail out the final details of the plan.

 

"Okay," said Twister. "So when we're going to do it, we just say we're exhausted and we're going to bed early."

 

"Okay," said Lois.

 

"Black Dawn will help us pull it off. Do you know where you're taking Lauren?"

 

"I'm gonna take her to a hotel. It's airtight."

 

"Okay, perfect. I'll pull you aside when the boss says it's time."

 

"Alright. Sounds like it's all figured out."

 

"We should probably get cleaning."

 

"Good idea."

 

******

 

"Okay, now before we get started on the cake, we're going to make up a platter. We want everyone to stay up."

 

Black Dawn started pulling things out of cupboards-chocolate coated granola bars, chocolate chip cookies, Hershey's cookies and cream bars, Reese peanut butter cups, Kit-Kats, and several other kinds of chocolate. They piled everything onto a plate and put it on the coffee table in the living room. They also put out a jar of lollipops and sodas. Harvey took out five bags of gummi bears.

 

They put everything on a huge platter, with a different compartment for each type of candy. In the middle, Harvey poured a bunch of chocolate syrup. 

 

After everything was on the table, Black Dawn started taking out ingredients. When Harvey came back from bringing the candy, everything was ready. Harvey got out some bowls, as well as the cake mixture.

 

"We don't have a recipe," said Black Dawn.

 

Harvey pulled a sheet of folded paper out of his left pocket. "I took care of that this morning."

 

"What would I do without you?"

 

Harvey turned the stove on. The boss got out spoons, measuring cups, and measuring spoons.

 

Harvey started on the dry ingredients, and Black Dawn started mixing the wet ingredients.

 

******

 

Mortimer flicked on the basement light. There were boxes and clutter everywhere, but between everything, there was a path where people could walk among all the junk. Mortimer took several steps, then knelt down, facing towards the boxes piled on the left side. The Silver Masquerade knelt down facing towards the right side.  
            “Alright, we better start looking,” said Mortimer. “Good thing all the boxes are labelled.”  
            They both started looking at boxes and pushing them aside. They found Christmas decorations, Halloween decorations, living room stuff, misc.  
            “Hey, there’s a miscellaneous box over here,” said Mortimer. “Should we look at it?”  
            “Yeah, break out the junk,” said Silver. “Let’s do it.”  
            Mortimer opened the box and started looking through it.  
            “This lamp is from, like, a million years ago,” said the Silver Masquerade. He looked it over, then shoved it back into the box.  
            “Come on,” said Mortimer. “Let’s go look around some more.”  
             
            ***  
   
             _This sucks,_ thought the Ringmaster.  _I can’t believe I have to go shopping with this guy!_  
 _I can hear you,_ Tom said in her head.  
            “Oops,” said the Ringmaster with a tiny smile.  
            Tom frowned at her. “What’s so funny?”  
            “Nothing, nothing at all.”  
            Tom put his quarter into one of the carts and pulled on it.  
            “It won’t come out.” He frowned at it.  
            The Ringmaster sighed. “Move.” Tom moved to the side and the Ringmaster pulled the cart out without any effort whatsoever.  
            Tom stared in wonder. “How do you do that?  
            “Because I’m awesome, that’s how.”  
            Tom rolled his eyes. “Whatever, let’s just go shopping.”  
            “Fine,” the Ringmaster said flatly.  
            “Fine.”  
   
            ***  
   
            “I just realized something,” said Lois in the middle of his dusting. “What if they come looking for us in our bedrooms for some reason?”  
            “What reason would that be?” asked Twister.  
            “It would be….well…I don’t know. But what if they do?”  
            “Good thinking. I’m glad you thought of this.”  
            “We have to account for these things.”  
            “You’re right. I know! We’ll tell them we need some alone time and we’re going off to…”  
            “The movies!”  
            “Ha-ha! Perfect!” cried Twister.  
            Lois smiled at Twister. “Thanks for helping me.”  
            “It’s no big deal, really. And the boss is in on it, too, don’t forget.”  
            “Why’d you get her involved, anyway?” asked Lois.  
            “She’s an excellent source of support,” said Twister. “Plus I figured we could use someone with powers to back us up if we run into a real big mess.”  
            “We won’t,” said Lois quietly.  
            “Lois.” Lois looked down. “Lois, look at me,” begged Twister.  
            Lois looked at her.  
            “Everything’s going to be fine,” said Twister.  
            “But…but…”  
            “Lois, what’s wrong?” asked Twister quietly.  
            “I…I don’t know if I can do this,” whispered Lois. “What if Harvey finds out?” He dropped to his knees.  
            Twister was at his side in a second. “Lois, please. We’ll be here to protect you.” Tears welled up in her eyes. It made her very sad to see Lois so scared. “You’ll be okay. We won’t let him hurt you. That’s why I got the boss to back us up.”  
            “Is everything okay out here?” asked Frank, who had come out for a piece of chocolate. “What’s wrong?”  
            “Nothing,” said Lois, standing up. Twister slowly got up as well. “Really, everything’s okay,” she said, feigning a smile.  
            Frank just stood there, looking at them.  
            Harvey darted out from the hallway, grabbed a Kit-Kat, and was about to run back to the kitchen when he stopped and surveyed the scene in front of him. “What’s going on out here?” he asked.  
            “We were just about to go and clean the bathroom,” said Lois, and pulled Twister away.  
            The boys just looked at each other in confusion.  
   
            ***  
             
            The Ringmaster and Tom entered the grocery store.  
            “Where do we start?” asked Tom.  
            “Hang on, I’ll check,” said the Ringmaster, reaching into her pocket. Then she reached into her other pocket. Nothing.  
            “Where’s the list?” she asked.  
            “It’s right here,” said Tom with a laugh.  
            “Give it back,” said the Ringmaster.  
            “How about no?” said Tom.  
            “Please, Tom,” said the Ringmaster.  
            “I’d rather not.”  
            “Give it.”  
            “Make me.”  
            “You really wanna go there?”  
            “Do  _you_ really wanna go there?”  
            The Ringmaster laughed. “Please. You don’t even know how to use your powers yet.”  
            “Well…I…” Tom shuffled from foot to foot.  
            The Ringmaster smiled. “You what?”  
            Suddenly Tom was on the ground, coughing and whimpering in between coughs. The Ringmaster looked at him in horror. She got to her knees beside him. “Tom?” Her voice shook. She had no idea what was going on, but then Tom said, “Something’s going on inside me.”  
            The Ringmaster suddenly knew what was going on. She could not hide her feelings for Tom behind distaste anymore. She had to help him. She grabbed a bag of Kit-Kats and tore one open.  
            “Tom,” said the Ringmaster, kneeling beside him. “Eat this.”  
            Tom pushed the candy away.  
            “Tom, you have to eat this. It’ll solve what’s going on inside you.”  
            Tom hesitated, then took the chocolate and ate the whole thing. The Ringmaster had another one ready for him, which he happily ate. Then he scrunched his eyes shut, arms blocking his head, and stayed like that for a long moment.  
             _Come on, come on,_ begged the Ringmaster in her head.  
            The silence was agonizing.  
            Finally Tom slowly lifted his head. His eyes were open, and he had a small smile on his face.  
            “Oh, thank goodness!” The Ringmaster threw her arms around Tom’s neck, then handed him another candy bar, which he happily ate. Tom didn’t know why or how, but the candy seemed to help. The Ringmaster handed him the entire bag, then dismissed the crowd that seemed to have gathered.  
            “Okay, show’s over,” said the Ringmaster. “Everyone go back to what you were doing.”  
            Everyone left, dispersing the scene.  
            “What now?” asked Tom.  
            “There’s a clinic right around the corner,” said the Ringmaster thoughtfully. “We should go there and make sure you’re okay. The shopping can wait.”  
            “But the boss-“  
            “The boss will understand. Don’t worry. Now come on.”  
            Tom smiled. “Thanks.”  
   
            ******  
   
            Harvey tossed the boss a pack of Swiss Rolls, which she caught and opened.  
            “Thanks,” said Black Dawn. “Knew I could count on you.” She handed him a piece of paper. “This is the recipe we’re following.”  
            “I thought we were using cake mix.”  
            “Kim requested a cake from scratch, so that’s what we’re going to make.”  
            “Okay.”  
            “I also have the recipe for homemade icing. Kim has requested that, too.” She turned to Harvey. “Can I count on your help?”  
            “You bet.” Harvey smiled. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll get it done.”  
            The boss smiled back. “That’s what I like to hear. Can you get me the eggs out of the fridge?”  
            “Yup.” Harvey did as he was told.  
   
            ******  
   
            “See, I told you. Walk-in clinic. Keep on eating. You have to keep the chocolate in your system.”  
            “I’m scared. What if they find that I’m not well?”  
            “It’s gonna be okay, Tom,” whispered the Ringmaster, but her voice shook. “Come on. I know the secretary here. She’ll take us right away.”  
            The Ringmaster pulled Tom inside, going right up to the front desk.  
            “Katherine, hi.”  
            “Oh, hey, Ringmaster, I have a doctor available for you and…”  
            “Tom. He’s having darkness problems.”  
            “Newbie, huh?”  
            “Yes, now please, send us in,” said the Ringmaster desperately.  
            Katharine showed them to a room, and they went right in.  
            “How do you know her?” asked Tom.  
            “She took care of me when I was first starting out,” said the Ringmaster with a smile. “Almost 9 years she took care of me, until I was fine, and completely capable of standing on my own. She’ll take care of us, I’m sure. I bet she’ll even get the same doctor.”  
            A doctor came in just then.  
            “Dr. Peters, thank goodness!” said the Ringmaster.  
            “Ringmaster, wow. I haven’t seen you in ages.”  
            “There’ll be time to catch up later. This is my friend, Tom, and he’s darkness. He’s really new, and we had a close call today with his inner darkness. We need to get a test done.”  
            “You got it. Tom, I’ll need you to pee in this cup.”  
            “You got it.”  
   
            ******  
   
            “There’s no flour in here.”  
            “Try the other cupboard,” said Black Dawn with a smile.  
            Harvey went over to the other cupboard and opened it the rest of the way. A bucket of water fell on his head.  
            “Haha! Gotcha!” cried Black Dawn.  
            “Naw, crap,” muttered Harvey with a chuckle. He reached into the cupboard. “Hey, I found the flour.” He brought it over. “Here. Bam!” Harvey exclaimed, throwing a handful in her face.  
            “Okay, we seriously actually need to make this cake. We can start a food fight later.”  
            “Good idea. Let’s do it.”  
            “Come on. Let’s bake the hell outta this cake! Now get me the sugar, slave!” she teased.  
            “Fine, but no more water.”  
            “Deal.”  
             
            ******  
   
            “It’ll only take me five minutes to get the results,” said Dr. Peters. “Now please wait here.”  
            “Okay,” said the Ringmaster. Dr. Peters left the room.  
             _Please, please, please,_ begged the Ringmaster in her head.  
             _I’m sure it’ll be fine,_ said Tom, with a small smile, he touched her hand with his comfortingly.  
            “Your mind powers seem unfazed,” observed the Ringmaster. “I think it’s safe to say you’ll be fine.”  
            “I’ll say it is,” said Dr. Peters, as he re-entered the room. “Tom, you’re going to be fine. Luckily the Ringmaster caught you just in time. You’ve got a good girlfriend here.”  
            “Oh, we’re not-“ began the Ringmaster, but then Tom sent her a message through darkness. The Ringmaster didn’t have to hear a single word to know what was what.  
            “Yes,” said Tom with a sincere smile. “Yes, I do.”  
   
            ******  
   
            “Harvey, I got you a Kit-Kat,” said Black Dawn.  
            “”Thanks,” said Harvey, taking the Kit-Kat. “By the way, I’m taking yours as well.” Harvey grabbed for it.  
            Black Dawn smiled. “No, you’re not.”  
            “Give it.”  
            “Okay, okay, okay,” said Black Dawn, holding Harvey back, pushing him away with her hand. “Come on, we really have to do this.”  
            “But we’re already halfway done,” said Harvey.  
            “Do you know the difference between baking powder and baking soda?” asked Black Dawn.  
            “Um…yeah,” said Harvey.  
            “Good, because I can never remember,” said Black Dawn, rolling her eyes. “Can you get me the baking soda?”  
            “Sure. Oh, and don’t feel bad. I can never remember my right from my left.”  
            Black Dawn opened her mouth to say something, but then her cell phone rang. “Oh, it’s the Ringmaster. I gotta take this. Hello?” Black Dawn listened for a minute, then gasped. “He is? You did?” Black Dawn took a deep breath out. “”Oh, okay. See you guys later.” She hung up.  
            “What was that all about?” asked Harvey.  
            “Well…” began Black Dawn.  
            Harvey narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “Tell me.”  
            “Tom had a problem with his inner darkness,” Black Dawn said with a sigh.  
            Harvey gasped. “Oh, my gosh, is he okay?”  
            “Harvey, don’t worry, it’s okay, he’s fine. The Ringmaster got candy in him.”  
            “Oh, thank goodness!” Harvey chuckled.  
            “We’re all good, don’t worry about it.”  
            “Good thing he had the Ringmaster looking out for him.”  
             
            ******  
   
            The rest of the shopping was a breeze. Working together, with the list and the darkness and teamwork, the Ringmaster and Tom got the job done and the list cleared in less than an hour. They also got a lot of different chocolate and candies to help sustain the villains’ powers.  
            They talked on the way home.  
            There was silence for the first five minutes, but it was the good kind. It was the nice kind.  
            Then the Ringmaster spoke.  
            “So you and Frank are twins?” she asked Tom.  
            “Yup,” said Tom. “Twins by blood.”  
            “Really?” The Ringmaster looked genuinely surprised. “I thought you were just brothers in spirit.”  
            “Nope.” Tom chuckled. “Blood relatives.”  
            “So then it’s not a happy coincidence that you both have powers.”  
            “Not a coincidence…and I’m not sure if I would call it happy.”  
            “Oh, well, okay. Any other brothers or sisters to speak of?”  
            “Well, when me and Frank were 13 years old, our mother got pregnant with a girl. I couldn’t wait to have a baby sister. My brother was as excited as me. Unfortunately, she was stillborn.”  
            “Oh, I’m really sorry.”  
            “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”  
            “Two years later, my mom tried again for a baby. But another tragedy happened. Our mother had a miscarriage.”  
            “Oh. So it’s just you two.”  
            “Yeah, pretty much. My mom gave up after that, and just focused on us. My dad left when we were about fifteen. He couldn’t handle puberty.”  
            “Oh. That’s pretty unfortunate.”  
            “Yeah. Harvey was our best friend since we were about 20.”  
            “Harvey is cool.”  
            “”Ringmaster. Will you go out with me?”  
            The Ringmaster turned around and looked at Tom. “Maybe.”  
  
  
 **A/N: I'm finally done with this chapter!**  
  
NEU-on or before August 3


	45. Chapter 45-Party

            The Ringmaster and Tom talked and laughed their way through the door. Tom stopped talking when they got into the living room.  
            “Wow, Ringmaster. Look at the room,” said Tom in an excited voice.  
            “I know, it’s great. The boys did a terrific job with the decorations.”  
            Mortimer and Silver came rushing over. “What do you guys think?” asked Silver.  
            “It looks awesome,” said Tom.  
            “You boys did a great job,” said the Ringmaster.  
            “Tom,” said Mortimer. “Would you go check on the others? I’d like to talk to the Ringmaster alone.”  
            “Okay.” Tom left to find Frank and the Dark Lord.  
            Silver smiled. “Okay. Tell all.”  
            “What are you talking about?” asked the Ringmaster.  
            “Well, let’s see,” began Mortimer. “”You went out all pissed off that you had to go shopping with Tom, you spend two hours with the guy, and you come home glowing and smiling. Obviously something happened.”  
            “Nothing happened. And I’m not glowing.”  
            “Oh, but you are.”  
            “No way! Silver, am I glowing?”  
            Silver stifled a laugh. “Maybe just a little.”  
            “I’m not glowing! Nothing happened! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go check on the party preparations.”  
            “Fine,” said Mortimer. “But this isn’t over.”  
            “For you, maybe,” mumbled the Ringmaster, then went to go find Tom.  
            She found him ready to check on the kitchen, after getting hell from Twister for being a newbie, it seemed, and getting a terrified look from Lois, probably for being one of Harvey’s friends for so many years.  
            The Ringmaster grabbed Tom’s hand and pulled him towards the kitchen. They pushed open the double doors and…  
            They were met with a picture of disaster. Harvey and Black Dawn had seemingly trashed the kitchen, and were still trashing it. They each had a different ingredient as a weapon.  
            Tom cleared his throat and Black Dawn squealed and turned around to see Tom and the Ringmaster standing there. Harvey turned around to look at his friends as well.  
            “What exactly happened here?” asked the Ringmaster.  
            Black Dawn blushed. “Oh, well, um…”  
            “I mean, usually you’re all professional or whatever. I mean, I knew Harvey was a goof, but you’re the all-business boss.”  
            “Well,” said Black Dawn. “Maybe a bit of nonsense.” She cleared her throat. “But, um, we’ll clean up. Harvey, start on the counters.”  
            “You got it, boss,” said Harvey, and got back to work.  
   
            ******  
   
            The guests started arriving at around 11:45. By this time the mess was all cleared up and Black Dawn was greeting people at the door, checking palms and mind signals to make sure everyone entering was trustworthy, and that they were invited guests.  
            The Ringmaster sighed. “Black Dawn, will you quit on that?” She rolled her eyes. “There’s not going to be any party crashers.”  
            “I’m making sure,” said Black Dawn. “When you’re a villain, you can never be too careful. Especially since we’re not checking people in at the drawbridge before we open it. I mean, it’s an open door party.”  
            “At least until all the guests are here,” said the Ringmaster.  
            “Good point. Anyway, no heroes are going to show up this time.”  
            The Ringmaster groaned.  
   
            ******  
   
            The flow of guests finally slowed, then stopped at around 12:15. Harvey put out an entire table of chocolate and candy to keep the villains’ strength up.  
            Black Dawn went to the living room, where most of the guests were gathered. She was pulling a cart full of drinks.  
            “Okay, guys, we got drinks coming through. Help yourselves. Whoa!” Black Dawn slipped and fell on her butt. A pitcher came down after her, but Harvey caught it before it hit the ground.  
            “Careful there,” he said with a charming smile. His eyes sparkled as he extended a hand to help her up, as he squatted down to help.  
            Black Dawn giggled. “Um…oops.”  
            Harvey pulled her up. “There you go.”  
            One of the women chuckled. “Ooh, a little romance.”  
            “No,” said Harvey and Black Dawn together. Black Dawn smiled. “We’re just friends, Janet.”  
            Janet frowned. “Oh.”  
            “Who’s the new guy, though?” asked another woman.  
            Harvey extended a hand. “Harvey Wickston.”  
            The woman took his hand. “My name is…is…uh…” She looked into his eyes.  
            Harvey stared back. “You don’t remember your own name?”  
            “Carol Jenson,” said Twister from behind them. “Good to see you again.”  
            “Good to see you, too.”  
            “I see you’ve met Harvey,” said Twister, with anger and annoyance seeping into her voice. She sighed. “Don’t be fooled his charm. Trust me. You don’t want to know what’s been going down while he’s been here.”  
            “I wasn’t being fooled by his charm,” said Carol, wiping her hand on her shirt. “Anyway, I…Where’s the Ringmaster?”  
            “I’m right here,” said the Ringmaster from her chair. She smiled and rolled her eyes. “I’ve been sitting here the whole time.”  
            Harvey smiled. “I knew that.”  
            “I know you did,” said the Ringmaster.  
            “Well, thanks a lot for this party, everybody,” said Kim. “You guys all did a great job, and I know it’s gonna be great. I mean, the place looks great.”  
            “Well, yeah, it does look pretty awesome,” said Mortimer. “I mean, it goes without saying that I decorated.”  
            “I helped,” said the Silver Masquerade.  
            “Yeah, right,” mumbled Mortimer.  
            “Okay” said Black Dawn. “I’m gonna go start dinner. I know you guys are probably hungry, so there’s tons of snacks on the table, or if you want something healthy, there’s food in the kitchen.”  
            “What do you mean?” asked Carol.  
            “Yeah,” said Kim. “We just got here.”  
            “Well, I suppose I could hang out for a couple of hours. I mean, there’s just a lot of food to make. It’s gonna take me forever.”  
            Kim sighed. “Forget about that. Parties aren’t a time for responsibilities. They’re a time for fun.”  
            “She’s right,” said Janet. “Just enjoy the party for now.”  
            Black Dawn sighed. “Fine, okay.”  
            By this time most of the guests were spread out across the castle. Only Kim, Janet, Dark Mortimer, Silver, the Ringmaster, and Carol were in the living room with Harvey and Black Dawn, and everyone else was around the castle.  
            Frank and Tom came in.  
            “Oh, yeah,” said Harvey. “These are the newest of new guys, my main men, Frank and Tom.”  
            “Yeah, we’re his  _main_ men,” said Frank.  
            “I’m mainer than you,” said Tom.  
            “That’s not even a real word,” Frank pointed out.  
            The Ringmaster poked her head though the doorway. “Harvey, come on,” she said. “I wanna introduce you to some of my friends.”  
            “Okay,” said Harvey.  
            The Ringmaster grabbed Harvey’s hand and pulled him away.  
            They ended up in the movie room, where a small group of people were gathered, most of them sitting.  
            “Hey, guys,” said the Ringmaster. “I’d like you all to meet Harvey.”  
            “Hey,” said everyone.  
            “Harvey, this is Peter, Allie, Thomas, Samantha, Connor, David, Ethan, and Joel.”  
            “Nice to meet all of you. Ethan and Joel kind of look like they’re related,” observed Harvey.  
            “We are,” said Ethan. “I’m Joel’s older brother.”  
            “So, new guy, wanna go somewhere and chat, just the three of us?” asked Joel.  
            “”Uhhhh…is that like chat, or ‘chat’?” asked Harvey.  
            “No, no, no,” said Ethan. “It’s okay, Joel has a girlfriend, and I had a girlfriend about a month ago.”  
            “Oh, well, in that case, we can talk. That would be great. I’m not gay, either, just so we’re clear.”  
            Joel chuckled softly.  
            “I can back him up,” said the Ringmaster. “He has a girlfriend.”  
            “Uh, Ringmaster, we’re gonna go have some guy time, okay?” asked Harvey.  
            “Okay, you guys go.”  
            “You sure?”  
            “Yeah, certain.”  
            “Alright. We’ll see you back here in a while, okay? Come on, guys.”  
            “Where should we go?” asked Joel.  
            “Come on, we can go to my bedroom,” said Harvey.  
            The boys went into Harvey’s room.  
            “It doesn’t look like you’ve got that much stuff up in here yet,” observed Joel with a smile.  
            “Well, I only moved in very recently,” said Harvey. “I do plan on getting the entire room repainted and furnished at some point very shortly.”  
            “Sounds cool,” said Ethan, closing the door.  
            “So,” said Joel. “What kind of powers you got, new guy?”  
            “Darkness, and everything that comes with it,” said Harvey. “I’m quite proud of my powers, really.”  
            “I figured as much,” said Ethan.  
            “That’s cool,” said Joel. “I’ve always wanted powers.”  
            “Yeah,” said Ethan. “But we’re not villains or darkness.”  
            Joel smiled evilly. “So we’ll just have to take yours.”  
            Harvey looked horrified. “What?”  
   
            ******  
   
            Ethan and Joel both started laughing.  
            “Relax,” said Joel.  
            “Yeah, we’re just kidding,” said Ethan.  
            Harvey chuckled. “You guys really had me there for a second.”  
            Joel smiled. “You should’ve seen the look on your face!”  
            Ethan frowned. “I don’t even think there’s a way to get the darkness from one person to another.”  
            Harvey smiled. “If there is, we haven’t figured it out yet.”  
            “So I guess this is your home now,” said Joel.  
            “Not exactly,” replied Harvey.  
            “What?” asked Joel.  
            “What do you mean?” wondered Ethan.  
            “Well, the truth is, I’m planning I leaving after the fight,” said Harvey.  
            “Wait, what?” asked Joel. “You’re leaving all this?”  
            “What do you mean, ‘all this’?” asked Harvey. “My life here isn’t really that big of a deal.”  
            Ethan and Joel exchanged a meaningful look.  
            “It is a big deal,” said Joel. “Especially to your new friends. What about the Ringmaster? How do you think she’s going to react to you leaving?”  
            She’ll be…she’ll be….Why does it matter?”  
            Ethan crossed his arms. “It matters, okay? It matters to me. She’s my friend. I don’t want to see her get hurt. And I’m guessing you don’t want to hurt her.”  
            “Well, no,” admitted Harvey. “But I’m more of a lone wolf.”  
            Joel sighed and cracked a smile. “I don’t really find that very convincing, considering the friendships you’ve already formed, and everything else that’s been going on, including how much you’ve been helping the Ringmaster,” he said with a sly smile.  
            “How do you know about that?” asked Harvey.  
            “The Ringmaster told us everything,” said Ethan.  
            Harvey chuckled. “Of course she did. She told you in the five minutes you both were here.”  
            Ethan reached into his satchel and pulled out a bunch of paper stapled together. “This is the letter that the Ringmaster sent us, describing the events that have happened since you’ve come. Feel free to take a look.”  
            Harvey quickly flipped through the letter. “This is 12 pages long!” he exclaimed.  
            “Ninety percent of it is about you,” admitted Joel.  
            “Really?” asked Harvey, looking up.  
            “Yeah,” said Ethan. “I mean, I don’t know what she would do without you.”  
            “She would be…fine,” said Harvey quietly.  
            “If you read that letter, you would change your mind,” said Joel.  
            Harvey handed it back.  
            “You keep it,” said Joel. “I really think you should read it.”  
            “Well, maybe later,” said Harvey. “He opened one of the drawers beneath his bookshelf and put the letter flatly and carefully inside.  
            “Don’t worry,” said Ethan. “That was our extra copy.”  
            “Well,” said Harvey. “Pretty much everyone’s welcomed me, except for-“  
            “Twister and Lois Thomas,” said Joel and Ethan unanimously.  
            “We know,” said Joel.  
            “It’s in the letter,” said Ethan.  
            “It’s 12 pages long, front and back,” said Joel. “You don’t think she wouldn’t have remembered to tell us that you have enemies.”  
            “Enemies in the same group,” added Ethan.  
            “Well, hopefully we won’t be enemies much longer,” said Harvey.  
            “Do you have a plan or something?” asked Joel.  
            “A little bit,” said Harvey. “I’m guessing if the Ringmaster told you Twister and Lois Thomas aren’t fond of me, I’m assuming she told you why as well.”  
            “Well,” said Ethan, “Twister’s issue we were already well aware of. I mean, she’s done it with every new person, even sometimes with people who aren’t directly involved with Darkstar Corp. Lois’s issue, the Ringmaster told us about.”  
            “Did you really try to kill him?” asked Joel.  
            “Maybe,” said Harvey. “Our relationship is complicated.”  
            Joel laughed. “That’s one way of putting it, for sure.”  
            “Oh, like your relationship with Ethan is easy and straightforward,” said Harvey.  
            “Maybe not, but I never tried to kill him,” said Joel.  
            “Ohhhh!” cried Ethan. “Burn!”  
            “Haha, very funny,” said Harvey, rolling his eyes.  
            “So, how are you going to change your relationship with those guys?” asked Joel.  
            “I don’t know yet,” admitted Harvey. “But I’ll figure something out. Until then, I’ll just have to cope with the fact that neither of them really…enjoy my company.”  
            “From what I’ve heard, that’s a bit of an understatement,” said Ethan.  
            Harvey sighed. “It’s okay, because once I leave, none of that’s going to matter.”  
            “But it does matter,” said Joel.  
            “Not that much,” said Harvey.  
            “Why?” asked Ethan. “Because you have enemies? You’re going to have enemies anywhere you go, Harvey. Okay? It’s not going to end once you leave Darkstar Corp. Besides, what happens when you make up with Lois and Twister?”  
            “Look, I don’t even know if that’s going to happen,” said Harvey.  
            “But what if it does?” asked Ethan. “Harvey, you have a life here. And from what I’ve heard, you’ve been spending most of your time here.”  
            “Maybe I have. And maybe I do have a life here, but I also have a life there, and to be fair, that life came first!”  
            “That isn’t fair!” exclaimed Joel.  
            “Well, life isn’t always fair,” said Harvey.  
            “Well, from what I’ve heard, your life here is real, and your other life is all fake,” said Joel pointedly.  
            “That’s because my dad told me not to get emotionally attached, so I prefer to fake all my relationships.”  
            “Are you saying that your fake life is more important than your real life at Darkstar Corporations?” wondered Ethan.  
            “No! Of course not!” cried Harvey. I never said that was the case. It’s not. It’s just…it’s a tough call.”  
            “Yeah. Life is full of those,” said Joel, now much calmer than before.  
            “So what else are you going to do while you’re here?” wondered Ethan.  
            “Well, I’m going to train the Ringmaster and the other villains to their full potential, and we’re going to win that fight against the heroes.”  
            “So you’re going to help your new friends win and then just abandon them?” asked Ethan.  
            “I’m not going to abandon them,” said Harvey.  
            “Well, from what you’ve just said, it seems pretty obvious that’s what you’re going to do.”  
            “It’s not going to happen right now. There’s not even a certainty that it’s really going to happen!”  
            “Well, you sounded pretty certain a minute ago!” cried Joel.  
            “Why do you care what decisions I make?” growled Harvey.  
            “I care if it affects my friends,” said Joel.  
            “And they’re our friends,” added Ethan.  
            Harvey shot Ethan a dark look. “I don’t have time for this,” he said coldly. He could feel his inner darkness rising up inside him. He turned around to leave, but Ethan grabbed his arm.  
            Harvey whipped around, simultaneously breaking free of Ethan’s grip and thrusting all his power into one area, creating a ball of darkness.  
            Joel gasped. Ethan blocked his brother with his arm. The boys slowly backed away, staying in formation the whole time.  
            Harvey raised his ball of darkness, then slammed it straight into the floor, creating a resounding boom!  
            The darkness drained from Harvey just as fast as it had come. Harvey felt sudden terror take over as the realization that he might’ve hurt someone set in.  
            “Oh, my gosh!” cried Harvey. “Is everyone okay?”  
            “It’s okay, we’re okay,” said Ethan.  
            “Are  _you_ okay?” asked Joel, concerned.  
            “I’m fine, I’m fine. And I’m sorry. I’m glad you guys are fine. I’m really sorry. I didn’t intend to blow up like that.”  
            “It’s okay,” said Joel.  
            “All villains have spurts of darkness that they can’t control,” said Ethan. “The important thing is that nobody was hurt.”  
            Suddenly the door swung open. The three boys turned around to see Black Dawn standing there.  
            “I heard an explosion of darkness!” she exclaimed. “Is everybody okay?”  
            “Yeah,” said all the boys in unison.  
            “What happened?” asked Black Dawn.  
            “Harvey blew up,” admitted Joel.  
            “Harvey, are you okay?” gasped Black Dawn.  
            “Yeah,” said Harvey. “Just a little upset.”  
            “Obviously,” replied Black Dawn.  
            “No. I mean, I was worried about the after affects. I thought I hurt someone. But everyone’s okay. So that’s good.”  
            “Yeah,” said Black Dawn. “That is good.”  
            “I’m so sorry about this, guys,” said Harvey. “Really, I am.”  
            “Hey, it’s okay,” said Joel.  
            “Yeah,” said Ethan. “You made a mistake, and we forgive you.”  
            Joel dismissed Black Dawn with his mind so the boys could finish their conversation.  
            Ethan sighed. “Look, these guys let you into their lives,” he said. “They gave you a home. They called you their friend. And you still are. They trust you.”  
            “They do?” asked Harvey.  
            “Yes,” said Joel. “They do.”  
            “We don’t expect you to make any big, meaningful decisions right now,” said Ethan. “We also don’t expect you to stay. But we do expect you to promise us-as a friend of the Ringmaster, and now us-that when the time comes for you to make that choice, you’ll choose the option best for you, and everyone at Darkstar Corp.”  
            Harvey looked at Ethan, then at Joel. “I promise,” he said.  
            “Good,” said Ethan.  
            “Hey, let’s trade phone numbers,” said Joel.  
            Once the boys were done putting their numbers in each other’s phones, they left the room and went their separate ways to go mingle.  
   
            ******  
             
            Harvey walked through a bunch of different rooms, trying to find his friends, especially the Ringmaster. Realizing his efforts were futile, he went into one of the empty rooms.  
            He took a look inside, thinking about all the things he could do with the large, empty room.  
            “Harvey Wickston,” said a voice from behind Harvey. “I’ll be damned.”  
            Harvey looked behind him, only to see Jack.  
            “Oh, my gosh! Jack?” exclaimed Harvey. “What are you doing-?”  
            “Here?” finished Jack. “I could ask you the exact same thing.”  
            Harvey gave his friend a crooked smile.  
            “So,” said Jack. “You’re with Darkstar Corp. now, huh?”  
            “Yeah. At least temporarily. Could be longer. We’ll see.”  
            “Sounds like you’ve got your hands full.”  
            “Well, it is a pretty demanding job. Especially mentally. Not to mention, I’ve got a lot less time to spend with Lauren. I didn’t know you were involved with Darkstar Corp. at all.”  
            “Well, you’re not really supposed to talk about that with just anybody. I assume that’s why you didn’t tell me.”  
            “Actually, I didn’t join until after we talked. How long have you been with Darkstar Corp.?”  
            “I’m not exactly directly involved with them. Technically, I’m not with them. But I’ve been doing what I do for about 12 years.”  
            “So then, what exactly do you do?”  
            Jack had a mischievous gleam in his eye. “Let’s just say, I knew you were darkness right away.”  
            Harvey looked surprised, and then confused. “You?” he questioned. “A protector?”  
            Jack nodded twice. “For almost 12 years now.”  
            “That must mean you’re a pretty well-kept secret.”  
            “I have to be,” said Jack. “In fact, you’re the first villain I’ve ever told.”  
            “Why me?” asked Harvey quietly.  
            “Because. I trust you.”  
            “Jack, I…I’m honoured!”  
            “If you ever run into any problems, call me.” Jack handed Harvey one of his business cards.  
            “I will.” Harvey put the card in his wallet.  
            “My friend is really getting married,” said Jack. “That part I didn’t make up.”  
            “What do you mean, ‘that part’?” asked Harvey, looking puzzled.  
            “I did lie about the reason why I was in jail.” Jack looked about ready to cry.  
            “Jack, it’s okay,” said Harvey. “I understand.”  
            “It’s not that,” said Jack.  
            Harvey looked concerned. “Tell me.”  
            “Six years ago, Leona Stewart got the light in her. She was a little-known villain. She didn’t join Darkstar Corp. or show her true identity to the papers. I couldn’t save her.”  
            “Is that why you were in jail?”  
            “Not for her death. For another. Riley Matthews. About a week before we met in jail. They caught me with the body and thought I’d killed him.”  
            “I’m…sorry.”  
            “That’s not the worst of it. Other people have died under me.”  
            “I know it’s hard, Jack, but people die under every protector. It’s just something they have to live with.”  
            “But Harvey, most protectors have a 97% success rate. I’ve been doing this for 12 years, with a 50% success rate.”  
            “50 percent? That can’t be right.”  
            “I don’t want to talk anymore.”  
            “Hey, it’s okay,” said Harvey. “Don’t give up.”  
            “I won’t,” said Jack. “I’m gonna go get a drink. The Ringmaster’s coming.” He walked out.  
            About 5 seconds later, the Ringmaster appeared.  
            “Hey! There you are! What are you doing in an empty room, silly?”  
            “Jack was just here a minute ago,” said Harvey. “We were talking, but he went to get a drink.”  
            “You met Jack, huh?” said the Ringmaster in a huffy tone.  
            “What’s that tone for? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you speak like that before.”  
            “Just...he’s a little childish sometimes.”  
            “You mean the way Twister acts towards me?”  
            The Ringmaster giggled. “Well, yeah. But since he acts like a kid, he should have no problem getting along with juice boxes and sodas, since there is no alcohol until after dinner when the kids leave.”  
            Jack, who could hear their conversation, because he was hiding in the room next to them, just laughed quietly to himself and rolled his eyes.  
            “Come on,” said the Ringmaster. “Let’s get out of here.”  
            They left, and when Jack was sure they were gone, he came out of the empty room, and melted in with the crowd.  
   
            ******  
   
                       Black Dawn waved Harvey over. “Psst, Harvey. Come here.”  
            “Huh?” Harvey looked around. “Me?”  
            Black Dawn sighed and said with a smile, “No, Santa Claus.”  
            Harvey gasped. “What? Santa Claus is here?” Suddenly, Harvey got super excited. “Where, where,  _where?”_  
            “Okay, seriously. Get over here!”  
            Harvey went to see Black Dawn. “I was just kidding.”  
            Black Dawn laughed nervously. “Of course you were.” She suddenly got all I’m-the-boss-so-you-better-do-what-I-say. “But I’m not. Now take this key from me because I need your help.”  
            “Cool.” Harvey waved the key in the air. “What does this key unlock?”  
            “It doesn’t unlock anything. Now-“  
            “If it doesn’t unlock anything, then why are you giving it to me?”  
            “Because-“  
            “Does it lock something?”  
            Black Dawn punched him in the gut lightly.  
            “Ow! What is wrong with you?”  
            “Pay attention! This is important! What was that clanging sound?”  
            “I dropped the key!”  
            “Why’d you do that?”  
            “Because you hit me!”  
            “If you just paid attention, I wouldn’t have to hit you!”  
            “If you would just make your point, then I could just get shit done!”  
            “If you were listening, I was  _trying_ to make my point!”  
            “Well…if you hadn’t hit me, I wouldn’t have dropped the key!”  
            Black Dawn sighed. “Just help me find the stupid key.”  
            “Hey, I found a key!” exclaimed a little girl.  
            “Carol, I need that key. Please give it to me,” said Black Dawn.  
            Carol handed Black Dawn the key. Black Dawn gave Carol $10.  
            “Pay attention,” said Black Dawn. “Some people are snooping around, so I really just need you to take this key and lock the dungeons up and lock up your room, and lock up the monitor room, and room 302, at the end of the hall, turn right, we painted a number on it, you should see it.”  
            “Okay, but how-?”  
            “Do it now! Quick, before the kids get in any of those rooms.”  
            “One question. How do I lock all-?”  
            “They all have the same lock, now go!”  
            Harvey went and locked all the doors, then stowed the key away in his pocket.  
            “Harvey!” said a voice from behind him. Harvey turned around and saw Mortimer. “Come on! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Black Dawn’s about to attempt the 150 Warhead challenge!”  
            Harvey chuckled. “Oh, this I gotta see!”  
            He followed Mortimer out to the living room with an excited smile on his face, but he found Black Dawn, Kim, Jennifer, and the Ringmaster sitting in front of the television.  
            Harvey gave Mortimer an annoyed look. “What the heck is this?”  
            “Hey.” Mortimer tapped Black Dawn on the shoulder. “When are you doing the Warhead challenge?”  
            Black Dawn gave Mortimer a disapproving look. “I’m not…doing that!” She hit him with a pillow. “Why did you tell Harvey that I was going to do that?”  
            “Because…” Mortimer looked over at Harvey. “I was hoping it would convince you?”  
            Black Dawn, with a sly smile on her face, grabbed the pillow and threw it at Mortimer. It hit him in the face, and Black Dawn pointed at him, roaring with laughter. Mortimer smiled and threw himself over the back of the couch and landed on top of Black Dawn, throwing them both onto the floor. Black Dawn managed to flip Mortimer onto his back.  
            “Gotcha!” she crowed gleefully.  
            The Ringmaster saw a smile growing on Harvey’s face.  
            “It looks like Harvey wants in,” said the Ringmaster.  
            Jennifer got up and ran off before Harvey could begin play fighting with her. Harvey grabbed at her, but couldn’t grab her.  
            As she ran out of the room, Harvey called out, “Wet blanket!” playfully.  
            “Stick in the mud!” The Ringmaster joined in.  
            Jennifer turned around and pretended to shoot both Harvey and the Ringmaster. The Ringmaster just said, “Ouch!” but Harvey actually pretended to fall to the ground as if he had been shot. Kim took this chance to escape, so when Harvey got up, he had his sights set on the Ringmaster.  
            “Uh-oh,” said the Ringmaster, seeing Harvey staring at her, and that playful gleam in his eye, she knew he was going to tackle her. However, before he could do anything, she cried, “Harvey, look out behind you!”  
            “Huh?” Harvey looked behind him, and the Ringmaster ran and was about to tackle Harvey to the ground when suddenly Harvey spun around and grabbed both of the Ringmaster’s wrists, pushing her backwards and effectively pinning her against the back of the couch.  
            The Ringmaster couldn’t help but smile. “Hi.”  
            “Hi,” said Harvey, smiling back.  
            The Ringmaster started laughing and Harvey couldn’t help but laugh as well.  
            Suddenly Harvey felt someone on his back. It was Black Dawn, and as soon as Harvey took his hands away to deal with her, the Ringmaster ran off.  
            Harvey grabbed Black Dawn’s arm and flipped her over. She landed on the couch. Then Harvey made off after the Ringmaster. He chased her into the bedroom.  
            She tried to climb onto the bed to escape Harvey, but he tackled her.  
            “Tickle attack!” he cried, and began tickling the Ringmaster all over. The Ringmaster squealed and giggled and laughed and tried to either secure Harvey’s hands or push them off.  
            A minute later, the Ringmaster was laughing so hard she was running out of breath. Through her laughter, she started saying, “Okay, okay, okay! Candy break, candy break, candy break, candy break!”  
            She pushed Harvey’s hands away and ran to the living room to get some chocolate. Harvey was close behind her. He scooped her up and swung her around, then put her down. He grabbed a pack of Swiss Rolls.  
            “Hey, Ringmaster, go long!” he cried.  
            He threw the pack of Swiss Rolls, and the Ringmaster went backwards so far that she tripped over the arm of the couch and landed on the couch. Harvey hurried over to see if she was okay. The Ringmaster had the Swiss Rolls in one hand and she was laying on the couch and laughing. She moved her legs off the arm of the couch, and Harvey sat down. She hit Harvey with a pillow, and his hat fell off. The Ringmaster grabbed it before it hit the ground, then put it back on his head, pulling it down over his eyes. Harvey pushed his hat off his eyes. He had an amused look on his face.  
            The Ringmaster opened up her Swiss Rolls and bit into one.  
            Just then, Black Dawn came into the room.  
            “Hey! There you guys are,” she said. “Come on, it’s time for cake.”  
            Harvey jumped down and started to run off. The Ringmaster abandoned her Swiss Rolls and hurried after him. She grabbed his hand.  
            “Hey, Harvey,” she said. “Sit next to me, okay?”  
            Harvey smiled at her. “Of course.”  
            “Yay!” squealed the Ringmaster, swinging his hand. Harvey chuckled.  
            They couldn’t find two seats together, so the Ringmaster dragged a chair all the way from the other end of the table to sit with Harvey.  
            Lois was seated between Twister and Black Dawn, and held his breath when Harvey walked into the room. Twister, who saw that he was getting tense, grabbed his hand. Lois’s stress level instantly went down, and he was able to breathe again.  
            When everyone was seated, Black Dawn turned out the lights. There was pitch dark for a moment while Black Dawn was getting the cake ready. The Ringmaster lost sight of Harvey’s hand and had to feel for it instead. Harvey squeezed her hand.  
            “I got ya,” he said. The Ringmaster giggled, and Harvey heard Twister sigh in the dark.  
            Then Black Dawn carried the cake out, with the candles lit and everything. It was colourful and amazing.  
            Everyone sang “Happy birthday” while Black Dawn turned the lights back on, and them Kim blew out the candles. Everyone cheered, and when the Ringmaster and Harvey threw their hands up, they looked over at each other, and then up at their hands, which were still stuck together. Then they looked back at each other.  
            Just then, the Ringmaster felt someone breaking their hands apart. She looked up to see Tom smiling down at her. She smiled back up. “Oh, hey!”  
            “Hey, come sit with me,” said Tom.  
            “I’m already sitting with Harvey.”  
            Harvey immediately went on the defence. “She’s sitting with me. Back up a bit.”  
            “I’ll sit with you next time, okay?” said the Ringmaster.  
            “But she’s my girlfriend,” said Tom.  
            “Girlfriend?” exclaimed Harvey, clearly surprised. He looked over at the Ringmaster.  
            She shrugged. “What?”  
            Harvey sighed. “Okay, go sit with him.”  
            The Ringmaster looked up at Tom and then back at Harvey, not sure what to do.  
            “Tom, can I talk to you for a second?” she asked, and they walked off to a quiet corner where they could speak privately. Several minutes later, the Ringmaster came back with a huge smile on her face and plopped down in the chair beside Harvey, who put his arm around her. Tom sat down at the other end of the table, and he was smiling as well, so Harvey knew it had gone well. He liked to see all of his friends happy, and he also liked sitting beside the Ringmaster.  
            They all really enjoyed the cake, which was vanilla with chocolate icing, and everyone enjoyed each other’s company, especially Harvey and the Ringmaster.  
            After cake, Black Dawn tapped her glass with her knife, trying to bring the chaos to order. She told everyone that she had some different ideas for things to do in the afternoon and that Kim had told her what activities to plan, and Black Dawn had made all the arrangements. But she didn’t have a place in any of the activities.  
            “You guys can go, but I have to stay behind and make dinner,” she said.  
            Both Harvey and the Ringmaster cried “What?” together.  
            “Sorry, guys, but that’s just the way it has to be.”  
            Harvey though that everyone should be part of the fun, and as for Black Dawn staying behind alone, Harvey was having none of it. He became determined to make the boss part of the group activities.  
            “No,” he said, standing up. “That’s not the way it has to be.”  
            He went over and whispered something in Black Dawn’s ear. A smile grew on her face.  
            “Really?” she asked.  
            Harvey looked at her and nodded.  
            “Okay!” she squealed excitedly. “Okay, everyone, I’m coming!”  
            The Ringmaster just looked over at Harvey, confused.  
            They all went outside to the car, but another problem arose. They didn’t have a single car that could fit all of them. But Harvey wasn’t going to let that stop him or his group of friends. He put one hand on the car and let the darkness flow. The car slowly turned into the longest limo any of the villains had ever seen. They were all surprised, but seemed very excited. Everyone quickly piled in, and Black Dawn got in the driver’s seat. They all drove up to their first group activity, mini golfing. While the group of 50 people were driving off to mini golf, Harvey used his powers to make things even better for his friends while in the back, making a table appear with a mountain of chocolate and candy for his darkness friends to keep their blood sugar up, and his non-darkness friends to enjoy themselves. Everyone dug in. Even Twister picked up a Kit-Kat and ate it. Lois was the only one who refused. He just sat there with his arms crossed.  
            “Stay here,” said Harvey to the Ringmaster, and went over to sit down beside Lois.  
            “Hey.” Harvey tapped Lois on the shoulder. Lois looked up at Harvey, then immediately right back at the ground.  
            “What?” asked Lois quietly.  
            “Is anything wrong?”  
            “Even if there was, you think I would tell you? After all you did to me…” A tear rolled down his cheek. He shuffled over, further away from Harvey. Twister put her arms around Lois.  
            Harvey got up and went back to his seat beside the Ringmaster, who put a comforting hand in his.  
            When they arrived at the mini golf place, and everyone had a putter and a ball, Black Dawn gathered everyone before they went inside to play.  
            “Okay, everyone gather around!” said Black Dawn. “Harvey, Ringmaster, I need you to do a head count. There should be fifty people.”  
            They did a head count. “I got 50!” called out Harvey.  
            “That’s weird, because I got 49,” the Ringmaster said. “Lois Thomas is missing.”  
            That was when Lois made his way to the front of the group.  
            “Hey,” he said. “Sorry I’m late, I just…”  
            Black Dawn knew what was going on when Lois stopped mid-sentence and looked back at Harvey. She nodded at him.  
            “Don’t worry about it.”  
            Twister took Lois’s hand to make him calmer.  
            “Okay, here’s how things are going to work. Since we obviously can’t all golf at the same time, because that would be utter chaos, we’re going to split up into 5 groups of 10 people each. Now, each group will golf one at a time. When one group is finished, the next group can golf. Is everyone clear on that?”  
            Everyone nodded and said “Yes.”  
            “Okay, perfect,” said Black Dawn. “Okay, I need everyone who’s with Darkstar Corp to put up your hands, please.”  
            Harvey and his group put up their hands, and Black Dawn counted.  
            “Oh, wow, this is perfect,” she said. “Including me, we have 10 Darkstar Corp. members. All you guys are with me. Okay, next. Everyone under 18, put up your hands. 12, 13, 14-Okay, we have 15 kids. 10 of you are on one team. The other five of you can each go with one parent. There you go, we have three teams. Okay, who have we got left? We have ten girls and ten boys, is that right? Okay, let’s have all the remaining girls on one team, and all the remaining boys on another team. Perfect, five teams of ten. Okay, first hole! Let’s go!”  
            Everyone held their putters up, cheered, and ran off to the first hole. A few people looked over at the group like they were nutty, but quickly looked away when they realized the villains were in the group. The first, second, and third holes went over without a hitch, but when it got to the fourth hole, things started to go wrong.  
            It started out great. Everyone was playing and having fun. But when the villains were golfing, Harvey tapped the Ringmaster’s putter with his playfully. The Ringmaster turned around with a smile on her face. Harvey was smiling, too. The Ringmaster knew he was getting ready to play fight.  
            “Oh, you don’t want to start,” said the Ringmaster, getting ready to play fight back.  
            The amusement glowed in Harvey’s eyes. “Oh, I think I do.”  
            “Okay.” The Ringmaster hit Harvey’s putter back.  
            Harvey’s putter and then the Ringmaster’s putter both got tapped by Black Dawn’s putter. She wanted to get in on the fun. Pretty soon, everyone was hitting each other’s putters. But it wasn’t until the Ringmaster and Harvey got extremely playful that something bad happened. The Ringmaster found a way to get her putter underneath and around Harvey’s, and pulled on both sides of her putter. Harvey’s putter was thrown up out of his hands and flew across the course. Harvey had to get it so the battle could continue. Then the Ringmaster swung her golf club at Harvey, but instead of putting up his own club to protect himself, Harvey made the decision to duck instead. The Ringmaster’s putter flew out of her hands and hit the windmill, which was a hole at the mini golf course, the hole they were playing at. The windmill fell apart when the putter hit it, however. The top fell off and smashed on the ground. Unluckily, the owner was nearby and started yelling at them.  
            “Uh-oh,” said Harvey, and dropped his putter. They all had to abandon their putters and balls and run back to the limo. Everyone piled into the back and Black Dawn jumped into the driver’s seat.  
            “Harvey, head count!” cried Black Dawn quickly.  
            Harvey counted mind signals instead of heads because it was much faster. “We got fifty, go!” he cried.  
            Black Dawn slammed on the gas. The owner was right on their tails, but stopped when he saw they were escaping in a car. Instead he just yelled, “And don’t come back!” after them.  
            Everyone was laughing and smiling, except for Lois Thomas. The Ringmaster looked over at Harvey, who, in all the chaos, had ended up across from her instead of beside her. She smiled at him. When Harvey saw her looking over at him, he moved from his seat and sat beside the Ringmaster.  
            “Okay, that was a blowout,” said Black Dawn. “Next we’re going shopping.”  
            This ignited groans from the boys.  
            “Everyone relax!” said Black Dawn. “We’re going to downtown Toronto. You can go wherever you want.”  
            The groans turned to cheers. The Ringmaster already knew where she was going. Wherever Harvey was going.       
        
            ******  
   
            When they arrived in downtown Toronto, everyone went off in their own directions. The Ringmaster followed Harvey to wherever he was going.  
            Harvey felt the Ringmaster following him and turned around.  
            “Hi,” said the Ringmaster, when they locked eyes.  
            “Are you following me?” asked Harvey.  
            The Ringmaster nodded hesitantly.  
            Harvey smiled at her. “Come on,” he said. He went off and the Ringmaster followed excitedly.  
            The first place they went was a joke shop, which was one of Harvey’s places to go when he came downtown. It was a new experience for the Ringmaster, who had never been there before.  
            When the Ringmaster had her back to Harvey and was looking at some joke stuff that was on a shelf, Harvey carefully took a fake cockroach out of one of the bins and placed it on the brim of her hat. Then he feigned shock.  
            “Oh, my gosh! Ringmaster, don’t move. There’s a cockroach on your hat.”  
            The Ringmaster screamed and reached up, trying to brush the cockroach away. She managed to brush it onto the floor, but when she realized it wasn’t moving, she reached down and picked it up. She started laughing when she realized what Harvey had done. Then she threw it at Harvey. He jumped back, then picked it up off the floor and started chasing the Ringmaster with it.  
            Later on, the Ringmaster came over to Harvey and offered him a can of peanuts, but when he opened it, a bunch of fake snakes jumped out at him. He was surprised for a moment, then smiled and grabbed the Ringmaster around the waist. The store clerk couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head at them.  
            Then the Ringmaster pulled Harvey away and took him to her favorite bookstore. It didn’t take her long to load up on books, while Harvey loaded up on comic books, something that only made the Ringmaster laugh.  
            Then they visited the music store, and the Ringmaster showed Harvey more of her guitar skills up close and personal.  
            Halfway through the song, though, the Ringmaster noticed that Harvey was staring past her and through the window at the back of the store.  
            “Harvey?” she asked.  
            When she got no response, she tried again.  
            “Hey, Harvey, what’s up?”  
            “We’re close,” he said, more to himself than to the Ringmaster. “I can feel it.”  
            Then he just rushed out of the store.  
            “Harvey, wait up!” The Ringmaster just left the guitar behind and hightailed it after Harvey.  
            “Where are we going, Harvey?” she asked.  
            Harvey looked back, smiling darkly. “Another place I used to take my victims.” The Ringmaster heard the excitement in Harvey’s voice, and a smile grew on her face.  
            “Come on!” cried Harvey excitedly, and took off again.  
            “Okay,” the Ringmaster called after him. “But could we possibly slow down a bit?”  
             
            ******  
   
            At first there was just grass for several minutes, then there were woods, which took them about ten minutes to get through. When they came out on the other side, there was no city noise whatsoever.  
            “Just take a moment to stop and listen,” said Harvey. The Ringmaster closed her eyes.  
            “What do you hear?” Harvey asked.  
            “Nothing,” the Ringmaster said. “I hear nothing.”  
            Harvey smiled. “Exactly.”  
            “So where is it?”  
            Harvey pointed. “It’s just over this hill.”  
            The Ringmaster followed Harvey, and they went over the hill. They both saw the place, which was only about ten yards away.  
            Harvey pushed the door open, and the Ringmaster closed it behind them.  
            The place was about half the size of Harvey’s warehouse, and there were enough windows in the place that they could see pretty well. Not as well as outside, but close enough.  
            Harvey hurried over to the wall. “Look!” he cried excitedly. “My message is intact!”  
            The blood on the wall said,  _nobody can hear you scream._  
            “I must have been 14 or 15 when I brought Landon here.”  
            “Wow!” breathed the Ringmaster, and started to walk over to Harvey. All of a sudden, a rope snagged her foot and she found herself hanging upside down.  
            Harvey started laughing. “Whoops. Guess I forgot that I set that trap.”  
            “It’s not very funny,” said the Ringmaster. “Can you get me down from here?”  
            “Or I could just leave you up there for the rest of your life,” teased Harvey.  
            “Harvey!” snapped the Ringmaster, swinging herself forward to try and take a swing at Harvey, but he jumped back.  
            “Alright, hang on.” Harvey used his darkness to cut the rope, and the Ringmaster fell on her back.  
            Harvey went over to her. “You okay?” he asked.  
            “Yeah,” said the Ringmaster. “I’m fine, because now I can do this.”  
            She punched him in the arm. “That’s for joking about leaving me tied up.” She punched him again. “And that’s for not catching me when I fell.”  
            “Ow,” said Harvey, smiling. “Quit it.”  
            The Ringmaster giggled.  
            Suddenly the doors opened. Harvey and the Ringmaster looked over, and they came face to face with…  
   
            ******  
   
            “Mayor Cannonball,” snarled Harvey.  
            The Ringmaster’s face quickly changed from excitement to fear. “Harvey?” she squeaked.  
            “Ringmaster,” Harvey said sternly. “Get behind me.”  
            The Ringmaster didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly got behind Harvey, who put a protective arm in front of her.  
            “What are you doing here?” demanded Mayor Cannonball.  
            “I could ask you the same question,” said Harvey, in a low, dangerous voice. The Ringmaster whimpered.  
            “It’s okay,” said Harvey. “I’ll protect you. Now stand back. I don’t want you to get hurt.”  
            “Harvey, please, be careful,” begged the Ringmaster.  
            “Ringmaster. Stand back.”  
            The Ringmaster could see the darkness rising up in Harvey. She reluctantly stepped back. Harvey raised his ball of darkness. Mayor Cannonball cried, “Wait!” but Harvey would not wait. The Ringmaster ducked, covering her head with her arms and squeezing her eyes shut as Harvey slammed his ball of darkness into Mayor Cannonball, effectively knocking him unconscious. The Ringmaster didn’t open her eyes until she felt Harvey’s arms wrapped around her.  
            “Ringmaster,” he said, and she looked up. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”  
            “I’m okay” said the Ringmaster quietly.  
            Harvey smiled in relief. “Good.”  
            They both turned around to look at Mayor Cannonball.  
            “Huh? Silver?” asked the Ringmaster.  
            “Oops,” said Harvey, realizing his mistake. He had accidently knocked out the Silver Masquerade, who had been disguised as Mayor Cannonball.  
            The door opened again. Harvey and the Ringmaster both looked up.  
            “There they are,” said Black Dawn.  
            “Yay, we found Harvey,” said Twister, letting as much sarcasm seep into her voice as possible. “Hi, Ringmaster,” she said.  
            The Ringmaster smiled at her best friend.  
            “What happened to Silver?” asked Mortimer, as the rest of the villains came into the place.  
            “Harvey knocked him unconscious,” said the Ringmaster. “By accident,” she quickly added.  
            Twister wrapped her arms around Lois Thomas protectively, shooting Harvey a glare.  
            “What?” asked Harvey. “It’s not my fault. He looked like Mayor Cannonball.”  
            “Oh, yeah, that’s a perfectly good reason to knock him out,” muttered Twister sarcastically.  
            “I thought he was the enemy.” Harvey continued to defend himself while Black Dawn tried to revive the Silver Masquerade.  
            “Whose enemy?” Twister asked bitterly.  
            “It was an accident.”  
            “You still did it.”  
            “But I didn’t mean to.”  
            “But you did.”  
            “This conversation is going around in circles. We need a third party to help us.”  
            They both turned around and looked at the Ringmaster.  
            “Oh, I wish I could,” began the Ringmaster. “But I have to…um…”  
            “Go help Black Dawn,” suggested Harvey.  
            “Right. That. Bye.”  
            “Don’t put words in my best friend’s mouth,” said Twister angrily, as the Ringmaster hurried off.  
            “I was just trying to help,” said Harvey.  
            “You’re such a jerk! You should know, it wasn’t my idea to come looking for you.”  
            Harvey turned around to Mortimer. “That reminds me, how  _did_ you guys find me?”  
            “Silver followed your mind signal,” replied Mortimer.  
            “Ah,” said Harvey to himself. “I see.”  
            “Silver’s up,” said Black Dawn. “Everyone else is waiting at the limo. Come on.”  
             
            ******  
   
            In the limo, Harvey sat between Silver and the Ringmaster. He thought that Silver would be angry at him, but was pleased to find that they could laugh about it.  
            Silver chuckled. “You really can pack a punch, I’ll give you that.”  
            “Well, you took it like a champ,” replied Harvey. “You’re okay, though?”  
            “Yeah, I’m fine.”  
            “I’m just glad you’re not mad at me.”  
            “I know it was just an accident. Besides, it was also partly my fault. Plus, you thought the Ringmaster was in danger.”  
            “It was mostly my fault. I should have waited when you told me to.”  
            “Really, it’s okay,” Silver assured Harvey. “Ringmaster, I’m sorry if I scared you.”  
            “You did, but it’s fine,” said the Ringmaster with a smile.  
            “Good,” said Silver.  
            “Silver, why did you change back when you fell unconscious?” questioned Harvey.  
            “I need to be conscious to have enough power to make it work,” explained Silver. “If I’m asleep or unconscious, my powers won’t work.”  
            “I think that goes for all villains,” said Harvey, with a small smile.  
   
            ******  
   
            When everyone arrived back at the castle, Harvey turned the limo back into an ordinary car.  
            “Cool,” said the Ringmaster.  
            Then the party moved back inside, where the villains quickly grabbed some chocolate and ate it. Harvey passed out chocolate and soda to his friends. Then he plopped down on the couch. The Ringmaster sat down beside him.  
            Harvey rubbed his eyes. “Oh, my gosh. I didn’t realize how tired I was until just now.”  
            The Ringmaster giggled. “I don’t blame you. It’s been a long day.”  
            “I have an idea.” Harvey got up. “I’ll go get some candy and we’ll watch a movie.”  
            The Ringmaster smiled. “Sounds good.”  
            “We’re having dinner at 8:00,” said Black Dawn. “Harvey?”  
            “Got it,” said Harvey, as he headed to the kitchen.  
            He brought out a ton of candy, and he and the Ringmaster sat down on the couch and watched Drop Dead Fred and part of American Beauty. Other people came by to watch the movies, including Silver, Mortimer, Frank, Tom, Ethan, Joel, Black Dawn, Jack, and Kim.  
             
            ******  
   
            Finally 8:00 rolled around, and the villains were rushing around, trying to get the table set. Black Dawn had mentioned the idea of having a kids’ table and an adults table, but Harvey said everyone should sit together.  
            “Okay,” said Black Dawn, with a small smile.  
            Twister came out with a bunch of forks, but as she was going towards the table, she tripped over her own two feet. Harvey put his hand out and caught her by the arm, pulling her back up.  
            “Whoa, let me help you there!” he said, smiling.  
            Twister looked up at Harvey, but instead of yelling at him or being mean, she said, “You…caught me!” She sounded surprised.  
            “Yeah, I guess I did,” said Harvey.  
            “Um…thanks.”  
            “Did you just thank me?” asked Harvey, equally as surprised as Harvey, perhaps even more so.  
            “Yeah. I guess I did.” Twister walked away, with a single glance behind her, and a small smile at Harvey.  
            When the table was set, and everyone was seated, everyone wondered where dinner was going to come from.  
            “Everybody relax,” said Black Dawn. “Harvey’s got it covered.”  
            Everyone turned around to look at Harvey. He rubbed his hands together, then placed them on the end of the table, closed his eyes, and let the darkness flow. An amazing feast appeared.  
            “Dig in, everybody!” exclaimed Harvey.  
            “Are you sure this is safe to eat?” asked Ethan.  
            “Relax, it’s made of darkness, but there’s none in it,” Harvey assured him.  
            Everyone was very impressed. Well, mostly everyone. Lois Thomas got out of his chair and ran outside. Twister hopped up and ran after him. Harvey got up too, but the Ringmaster took him by the arm.  
            “Just leave it,” she said softly.  
Harvey sat back down.  
   
            ******  
   
            “Lois!” cried Twister, running after him. “Lois, it’s okay!”  
            Lois kept running. “No! No, it isn’t!”  
            “Lois, come back so we can talk about it! Please! We can figure this out, I know we can!”  
            “No! I’m leaving.”  
            Twister grabbed his arms. “Lois-“  
            “Let me go! I have to get out of here!”  
            “And just where are you gonna go, Lois?!” cried Twister.  
            “The SHA.”  
            “Lois, don’t. We’ll protect you.”  
            “Let me GO!”  
            Twister released Lois, afraid that he would run again, but he didn’t. Instead he collapsed to his knees and started sobbing. Twister knelt down beside him. Lois looked up at her with tears in his eyes.  
            “You’ve thought about it, too. I know you have.”  
            Twister sighed sadly. “Oh, Lois, of course I have. But you know why I can’t.”  
            Lois nodded knowingly. “Maybe you can’t, but I can.”  
            “Lois, why are you suddenly threatening to do this?” Tears came to Twister’s eyes.  
            “You know why,” whispered Lois.  
            “Him.”  
            “Him.” Lois’s voice cracked. He took a deep breath.  
            “Look, Lois, I know what happened in the past, but now you have friends, and we’re going to protect you.” She took his hands. “Lois, it’s going to be okay. I promise you. Things will get better.”  
            “How?”  
            “Having him around? It’ll get easier. He’s not going to hurt you.”  
            Lois wiped away his tears. “I’m scared.”  
            “I know.” Twister squeezed his hand. “And I’m here if you need to talk about it. But for now, why don’t you come back inside and have some food?”  
            Lois looked at the ground. “I’m not hungry.”  
            “Come on. It’ll be fine. I’ll protect you.”  
            Lois took a deep breath, then said, “Okay.” He and Twister went back to the table.  
            The Ringmaster got up from her seat to make sure Lois was okay. When he told her that he was, she went back to sit with Harvey.  
            Black Dawn had told everyone that when they had finished eating, they could leave, since it was getting late, and some of the guests had children.  
            Sure enough, the castle started to clear out, little by little. At 9:30, the last of the guests had gone. But the night was still young.  
  
 **This is the longest chapter I've ever written. Over 8800 words. The next one is very short.  
           So that's it.  
  
NEU-on or before 11pm**


	46. Chapter 46-Explanation

_It’s time._  
            The simple note said it all. Lois read it as discreetly as possible. He leaned back in his chair and sighed.  
             _Here goes,_ he thought.  
            “Alright, me and Twister need some alone time,” said Lois Thomas. “We’re gonna go to the movies.”  
            Black Dawn nodded. “And I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of.”  
            “I’m going to my room,” said Harvey.  
            “I need volunteers to wash the dishes,” said Black Dawn, shooting the Ringmaster a look.  
            “Oh, no. Not now. Not tonight.” The Ringmaster got up and hurried off to her bedroom before Black Dawn could say another word.  
            The Silver Masquerade put up his hand. “I’ll do the dishes.”  
            “What the hell?” said Tom. “I’ll help clean up.”  
            Harvey got up and left before his friends could enlist him to help. He hurried off to his room, where he settled down with a book. A moment later, however, the Ringmaster burst through his door.  
            “Are you  _kidding_ me?” she exclaimed. “That was amazing!”  
            Harvey put his book aside. “Okay, first of all, you can’t just burst in whenever you want. You have to knock.”  
            “Oh. Right. Of course. Sorry.”  
            Harvey smiled. “But you’re right. That was a pretty great party.”  
            “I’m not talking about the party! I’m talking about the breakthrough you made with Twister!”  
            “Oh, that. That was nothing.”  
            “That wasn’t nothing. You don’t know a lot about Twister, so to you, it looked like nothing. But I know Twister better than anyone, and for her, that was a big deal.”  
            “Really?”  
            “That wasn’t a small victory. That was a huge victory. That was the breakthrough we’ve been waiting and hoping for. I know it. Your relationship with Twister can only get better from here.”  
            Harvey smiled. “Finally.”  
            The Ringmaster giggled.  
   
            ******  
   
            Twister grabbed Lois’ hand as he started to walk away. “Lois.”  
            “I’m okay,” Lois said evenly.  
            “You are?”  
            “Yes, I am.”  
            “Meet us back at the castle in an hour.”  
            Lois smiled. “I will.”  
            Twister reluctantly let go. Lois started to walk away.  
            “Lois!” called Twister, and Lois turned back. “I’m scared for you.”  
            Lois placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be.”  
            He walked away.  
   
            ******  
   
            Lauren listened to the phone ringing on the other end.  
            “Come on, Cooper, pick up,” she grumbled. “It’s 10:00.”  
            “Hello?” asked Cooper.  
            “Finally,” said Lauren. “I left you about a zillion messages.”  
            “I’m really sorry about that. One of my new friends was having a birthday party. We’ve just been super busy all day.”  
            “I wish you would’ve answered my texts, at least to tell me where you were.”  
            “Yeah, I’m sorry.”  
            “Ask her if she wants to have breakfast with us,” whispered the Ringmaster in Harvey’s ear. Harvey nodded.  
            “Listen, I’m going to bed soon, so I just called you to say good night,” said Lauren.  
            “Yeah, well, I’m staying with a friend tonight, but I was just wondering if you’d like to have breakfast with me and Harriet tomorrow.”  
            “Sure,” said Lauren. “Sounds like fun!”  
            “How about Golden Griddle?”  
            “Ten am sound good?”  
            “Perfect,” they both said together.  
            Lauren hung up.  
            She was about to go and shower when suddenly there was a knock at the door.  
            “Hang on a minute,” called Lauren. She hurried to open the door.  
            “Hey,” said Lois.  
            Lauren bit her bottom lip. “Oh…hey,” she said. “What’s, um…what’s up?”  
            “You never called me back.”  
            “I didn’t know what to say.”  
            Lois held out his hand. “Will you sat down with me? Talk to me? Listen to me?”  
            “Can I trust you?”  
            “Yes. Please. I have something I need to talk to you about.”  
            Lauren took his hand.  
   
            ******  
   
            “What do you want to talk to me about?” asked Lauren, once they were seated.  
            “Your boyfriend.”  
            Lauren narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “What about him?” she asked coldly.  
            “He’s fine,” said Lois, putting his hands up defensively.  
            “Where are you keeping him?!” Lauren jumped up. “In the dungeon? Let him go! Don’t hurt him!”  
            “Lauren, please. You’re in danger.”  
            Lauren backed up a few steps. “You won’t get near me. I won’t let you!”  
            “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt Harvey, either.”  
            “Who?” Lauren slowly lowered herself back into the chair. “What are you talking about?” she asked quietly.  
            “Your boyfriend-“  
            “Fiancée.”  
            “His real name is Harvey. He’s with Darkstar Corporations. He’s going to torture you. He’s going to kill you! Please, he’s not who he says he is!”  
            “Fuck you! His name is Cooper!”  
            “No, it’s Harvey.”  
            “Don’t ever fucking call him that again!”  
            “Please, Lauren, please.”  
            “He would never hurt me.” Lauren’s voice shook.  
            “He would. And he will. Please, let me help you!” He tried to grab Lauren’s hand, but she snatched it away. Lois watched as she looked up at him with intense fear in her eyes, something he never wanted to see. It reminded him of the fear he had when Harvey was around.  
            “Lauren, listen, I know you’re scared. I’m scared, too. He’ll kill me if he finds out I was here. You have to understand that I’m only trying to protect you.”  
            Lauren jumped up and roughly shoved him back. “You’re lying!” she yelled, with tears in her eyes. “Get out of my house!”  
            “Lauren, please, no!” cried Lois desperately. “Please, please don’t do this!” Tears came to his eyes.  
            Lauren pushed him out of the house. He tried to push back, but Lauren was too strong for him. She pushed him and he landed on his back on the grass.  
            “Lauren, please, you have to  _listen_  to me!” He charged the door, but he was too late. Lauren had closed the door and locked it.  
            Lois pulled on the doorknob and banged on the door. “Lauren! LAUREN!” Lois broke down into sobs. He picked up his phone and called Black Dawn.  
            “I need more time,” he said desperately.  
            “There  _is_ no more time,” said Black Dawn. “We’ll be there in five minutes.”  
            “But I need more time!” Lois cried. “She doesn’t believe me! Please!”  
            “Lois, the longer we wait, the more danger you’re in. We’re picking you up in five minutes, and that’s that.”  
            Then Black Dawn hung up.  
            “Wait! NO!” Lois yelled at the dial tone. But it was too late.  
            Lois tried to find a way into Lauren’s house, and banged on the door, yelling Lauren’s name.  
            Much too soon for Lois, the car pulled up. He struggled so hard that it took both of the girls to get him in.  
            As they drove back to the castle, Lois softly sobbed to himself in the backseat. Twister and Black Dawn had a very tough time getting him into the memory-erasing room. That was when the real struggle started. Lois started pulling against the two of them and screaming.  
            “Let me go!” yelled Lois. “I need more time! I have to save Lauren!”  
            “Lois, you need to let us erase your mind,” Black Dawn said evenly.  
            “NOOOOO!” screamed Lois. “No!”  
            “Lois, we need to do this now. There’s no more waiting. It has to be now.”  
            “No, please! I can’t let this happen to her!” He broke away from the girls. “I have to save her!” He tried to run off, but Black Dawn grabbed him.  
            “Lois,” she said firmly. “Harvey will find out. You’ll be killed.”  
            “I don’t care! He can torture me all he wants!” Lois continued to struggle. “I don’t care if I die! I just have to save Lauren!”  
            Twister started crying. Seeing Lois like this was killing her, and knowing he was willing to die for Lauren-and at Harvey’s hands, too-hurt her even more. They finally managed to get Lois over to the machine. Then Lois broke his arm free and punched Black Dawn in the stomach.  
            “Twister, grab him!” cried Black Dawn, holding her stomach.  
            Twister grabbed Lois and strapped him down. Back Dawn put the helmet on his head.  
            “You’ll be okay,” said Twister softly. “We’re doing this because we care.”  
            “NOOOOOOO!” yelled Lois. “LAUREN!”  
            Memories of his time with Lauren flitted across his mind before Black Dawn pulled the switch, and those memories were gone.  
  
  
 **So, what do you think is going to happen now?**  
              **NEU-on or before Friday**


	47. Chapter 47-Afterwards

            “So this is your place, huh?” asked Harvey with a smile.  
            “Yep, this is it!” the Ringmaster said excitedly. “So what do you think?”  
            Harvey walked around the house. “Wow, this place is great! It’s really big, too.”  
            “I know. I like having a lot of room.”  
            “But you don’t need all this room.”  
            “You’d be surprised how often I do.” She came up behind Harvey. “Do you want to see your room?”  
            Harvey turned around to look at her. “Sure.”  
            “Come on.” The Ringmaster led Harvey to his room. “Ta-da!” she sang, spreading out her arms when she showed Harvey his room.  
            “Wow!” exclaimed Harvey. “This is bigger than my whole house.”  
            “It’s great, huh?”  
            The Ringmaster’s phone rang. “Oh, hang on. It’s my brother.”  
            “You have a brother?” asked Harvey, both curious and a little confused.  
            “Yeah. Donovan.” She picked up her phone.  
            “Hey, Donovan,” she said. She covered the mouthpiece with her hand. “Get yourself settled. I’ll be right back.”  
            She closed the door behind herself, giving Harvey some privacy and space to get settled. But Harvey quickly unpacked, and then he ran out after the Ringmaster. He gave her the “wrap it up” signal, and she laughed and nodded.  
            “Listen, Donovan, I have to go. I have a guest here. I’ll see you Saturday night for dinner. Love you, bro.” Then she hung up.  
            Then she headed into the kitchen for some ice cream. Harvey followed her.  
            “Hey, do you want something to eat or drink?” asked the Ringmaster.  
            “Ice cream actually sounds pretty good. I have a question for you.”  
            “Yeah?”  
            “Does your brother have powers?”  
            The Ringmaster brought the ice cream, along with two spoons and bowls, over to the table. “Not that I know of.” The both sat down beside each other. “But he does know that I have powers.”  
            “I have another question for you.”  
            “Okay.”  
            “Have you had the urge lately?”  
            “I don’t think so. What urge?”  
            “The urge to kill somebody.”  
            The Ringmaster shook her head. “No. Not yet. What happens if I have the urge?”  
            “Don’t worry. We’ll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.”  
            “Oh. Okay.”  
            “I have some news for you.”  
            “Oh, yeah? What is it?”  
            “Tomorrow, after we have breakfast, I have to run a few errands with Lauren, and then I’m coming to the castle for the rest of tomorrow, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and then I’m going home on Monday afternoon.”  
            “That’s awesome! I mean that’s four nights and five-Wait, home?”  
            “Yeah, what about it?”  
            “Isn’t the castle your home?”  
            “Yeah.”  
            “Oh.”  
            “Ringmaster.” The Ringmaster looked up. “Darkstar Corp’s my home now.” The Ringmaster smiled.  
            “In some ways, this place is better than Darkstar Corp,” mused Harvey.  
            “Like how?”  
            “I like the fact that it’s just the two of us.” Harvey smiled.  
            The Ringmaster dropped her spoon. “You do?”  
            “Of course.” Harvey reached across the table and took both of the Ringmaster’s hands in his own. “Ringmaster, you know you’re one of my best friends, right?”  
            The Ringmaster nodded, then looked at the clock. “Oh, jeez! We have to meet Lauren for breakfast in less than ten hours. We should probably get to bed.”  
            “Wait!” said Harvey excitedly. “I want to try one more thing first.”  
            “What?” the Ringmaster asked excitedly.  
            “Come on.” Harvey took the Ringmaster’s hand and they hurried over and jumped onto the couch.  
            “Hold on,” said Harvey. He let his inner darkness out and turned the floor into pure lava.  
            “Whoa!” cried the Ringmaster in wonderment.  
            “Don’t worry. Your stuff is fine. I’ll make sure of it.”  
            “What about me?”  
            “If you fall, I’ll catch you.”  
            “Promise?”  
            “I promise,” Harvey said with a smile. He grabbed a few pillows and tossed them into the lava, where they floated harmlessly.  
            “Come on!” cried Harvey excitedly, jumping onto a pillow. “Come on, Ringmaster! The floor is made of lava!”  
            The Ringmaster started giggling and jumped after Harvey. She tried not to let too much distance get between them. They jumped around for several minutes. Then Harvey started going too fast for the Ringmaster.  
            “Harvey, wait up!” she called.  
            Then she slipped and fell forward. Harvey shot out a stream of darkness, turning the lava back. The Ringmaster put her hands out and landed on the floor, catching herself. She smiled up at Harvey.  
            “Told you I’d catch you,” said Harvey, grabbing the Ringmaster’s hand and pulling her up.  
            “Maybe she should change the floor back,” suggested the Ringmaster.  
            “Good idea,” said Harvey. He turned the floor back and then they both cleaned up the pillows. Then they plopped down on the couch. They looked over at each other. The Ringmaster had a big smile on her face.  
            “You know what I like the most about you, Harvey?” she asked.  
            “What?” asked Harvey.  
            “I can be completely myself around you. There’s no hiding any part of me.”  
            There was a moment of silence, then Harvey said, “We should probably get to bed.”  
             
            ******  
   
            “I’m confused,” said Harvey, on the way to Golden Griddle.  
            “About what?” asked the Ringmaster, now without her costume, as Harriet Whitaker.  
            “You said you ran away from home. Why are you getting calls from your brother?”  
            “I went back home after about a week. What can I say?” She shrugged. “I missed my family.”  
            “Are they aware of your powers?”  
            “Oh, yeah.”  
            “What about your job?”  
            “Can we not talk about this?”  
            “Okay,” Harvey said sympathetically.  
            There was a moment of silence, then Harriet said, “So, I’m just curious. How did you and Lauren actually start a relationship together?”  
            “You mean dating?”  
            Harriet nodded.  
            “That’s a long story,” Harvey said thoughtfully. “Let’s see, it was about three years ago…”  
   
            ******  
            ____________  
             
            3 years ago:  
   
            29 year old Lauren Brewer was just coming out of the grocery store, carrying two bags of groceries, when suddenly someone on a bike zoomed by, knocking over Lauren and making her groceries go everywhere. He didn’t even say sorry, just kept going.  
            “You jerk!” Lauren called after him.  
            “Hey, you, that was really uncool!” yelled another guy.  
            Lauren sighed and started picking up her groceries.  
            “Whoa, let me help you there,” said the same guy who’d yelled after the guy on the bike.  
            Lauren looked up to see a man with a black fedora smiling down at her, extending a hand. Lauren accepted his hand, and the man pulled her up.  
            “Uh, th-thanks,” she stuttered.  
            “No problem,” said the man. “Here, let me help you.” He reached down and helped Lauren pick up her groceries. He shook his head. “Guys like that make me so angry. I’d like to put that jerk in his place!”  
            “Don’t worry about it,” said Lauren. “It’s no big deal.”  
            “We should go after him and teach her a lesson.”  
            “No!” Lauren said quickly. “I’m fine, honestly,” she said calmly.  
            “Alright then.” He started picking up more groceries. “By the way, I’m Cooper Branson.”  
            “Lauren Brewer,” she said with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”  
            Lauren reached for one of the carrots, and at the same time, Cooper reached for the same carrot. Their hands touched for a brief second. Then Lauren pulled away. Cooper tried to give it back, but Lauren pushed it away.  
            “Keep it,” she said with a smile. “I bought a few too many anyways.”  
            Cooper bit into it. “Nah, what’s up doc?” he said, in a Bugs Bunny accent.  
            Lauren laughed. She picked up one of the bags and was about to pick up the other one, but Cooper grabbed it first. Lauren was about to say something, but Cooper beat her to it.  
            “Miss Lauren, I insist on helping you carry your groceries to your house. No ifs, ands, or buts.”  
            Lauren looked surprised, but did not protest. “Well…okay. Say, don’t you own that convenience store on Burdoch Road?”  
            “Yeah. I do.”  
            “I’ve been there, remember? I bought tampons and beef jerky from you.”  
            Cooper chuckled. “Oh, yes. It makes sense, since mine is the only convenience store in the whole town. I believe you just moved in last week, right across the street from me.”  
            “Yep, that would be me.” She smiled. “We live really close to each other. Maybe you could come over sometime.”  
            “How about tonight?”  
            Lauren shrugged. “As long as you don’t think three’s a crowd. A friend of mine is coming over. His name is Demitri.”  
            “Demitri Walters? I know that guy. He comes into my store all the time.”  
            “Cool. Well, I met him in the bookstore the other day. I think this relationship could go somewhere.”  
            “You mean as friends or romantically?”  
            “Romantically. I’m going to ask him out tonight.”  
            “Hey, the more the merrier.”  
            “Great. Dinner’s at eight, so maybe get here around 7:15?”  
            “I’ll be there.”  
   
            ___________  
   
   
            “Wait, so Lauren and Demitri dated?” asked Harriet.  
            “Let me finish the story and you’ll find out,” said Harvey with a smile. “I think you’ll be surprised.”  
             
            ____________  
            ******  
   
   
            There was a knock at the door.  
            “It’s unlocked, Demitri!” called Lauren, throwing some carrots into the stew. She heard the door open and then close.  
            “It’s not Demitri, it’s me, Cooper.”  
            Lauren poked her head around the corner. “Oh, hey, Cooper! Just give me one second.”  
            “Please, take your time,” said Cooper.  
            He took a look around. He saw a beautiful jewellery tree with a bunch of necklaces hanging from it. He picked up one that he thought was particularly beautiful.  
            “Wow,” he breathed.  
            “You like that, huh?” asked Lauren from behind him.  
            “It’s beautiful,” said Cooper. “Where’d you get it?”  
            “My great grandmother gave it to me when she was on her deathbed. I only wear it on very special occasions.”  
            “Well, maybe you should wear it tonight,” suggested Cooper. “It really compliments your dress. Besides, tonight is a special occasion. I mean, you’re asking a guy out.”  
            “You’re right, it does complete the look.”  
            “I bet it looks beautiful on you. May I?”  
            Lauren brushed her hair to the side. “Of course.”  
            Cooper took the liberty of putting her necklace on. Then Lauren turned around and smiled at him. “How does it look?”  
            Cooper smiled back. “Absolutely stunning.”  
            Lauren blushed. “Aw, thanks!”  
            Then there was a knock at the door. They both turned. Lauren made a move for the door, but Cooper put his arm out.  
            “I’ll get it,” he said. “I insist.”  
            “No way!” said Lauren. “I’m gonna get it.”  
            They both looked at each other for a moment. Then they both ran for the door, playfully shoving each other out of the way. They both grabbed the doorknob and opened the door together.  
            “Hi, Demitri,” they both said. “Please come in.”  
            “Oh. Kay?” said Demitri.  
   
            __________  
   
   
            “Then what happened?” asked the Ringmaster.  
            “I don’t really remember much of what we talked about, but I do remember this. About halfway through the dinner, she still hadn’t asked him out, so I wrote a note for her on a napkin. ‘Why haven’t you asked him out yet?’ Then she gave it back, and it said, ‘I’ll tell you why later. Just don’t say anything.’  
            He smiled at the Ringmaster. “After Demitri had left, I was leaving as well, but she grabbed my arm.”  
   
            _________  
   
   
            “Hang on a second, Cooper,” said Lauren, closing the door behind Demitri. “Listen, I thought Demitri was the one for me, but after spending the evening with you, I want to…well…will you go out with me?”  
            Cooper put both of his hands into Lauren’s. “I’d like nothing better.”  
   
            ________  
            ******  
             
            “Aww, that’s such a sweet story!” the Ringmaster said. “I’m such a sucker for romance.”  
            “Really, I hadn’t noticed,” teased Harvey, playfully shoving her.  
            The Ringmaster giggled. “Hey, there’s the food place!” She pointed excitedly, then grabbed Harvey’s hand.  
            “Um, Harriet,” said Harvey.  
            “Yes, Harvey?”  
            “Call me Cooper around Lauren. Also, I don’t think she should see us holding hands,” Harvey reminded her.  
            Harriet let go of Harvey’s hand. “Oh. Right. Of course. I mean, she might think that we’re romantically involved. Which we’re not.”  
            Harvey held the door open for Harriet.  
            “Thanks,” she said with a smile.  
            Lauren had already gotten a table in the back, and she waved them over.  
            When they got to the table, Lauren gave Harriet a hug, and also gave Harvey a hug, but it seemed half-hearted.  
            “Hey,” she said hesitantly.  
            “Hey, honey,” said Harvey, leaning in and kissing her. When she didn’t kiss him back, Harvey looked at his fiancée worriedly.  
            “Hey,” he said. “Is everything okay?”  
            Lauren nodded, not making eye contact with Harvey. Harvey put a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
            “Really?” he asked. “Because it seems like something’s wrong.”  
            “Nervousness, I guess. About the wedding. Also, I had a crazy dream last night that you cheated on me.”  
            “Oh.” Harvey sounded surprised. “But that’s not true.”  
            “Let’s get some breakfast,” suggested Lauren.  
            When they all had their food in front of them, Lauren started up conversation again.  
            “Harriet,” she said, sounding excited.  
            “Mm-hmm,” mumbled Harriet through her eggs.  
            “I have something to ask you. I mean, it’s kind of a big deal, and I know I haven’t known you that long, but you seem great. I mean, Cooper says good things about you, and you’re like the sister I never had, but always wanted. I mean, I…Ok, I’m just gonna get to the point. Will you be my maid of honor?”  
            Harriet froze, mouth open, a forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth. “Are you serious? Is this because of Cooper’s recommendation?”  
            “Well…partially. But mostly because I feel like you’re my sister, and like I can trust you.”  
            Harriet giggled. “Thanks, Lauren. That means a lot to me. I always wanted a sister as well.” She smiled at Lauren. “I accept.”  
            Then Harvey’s cell phone rang.  
            “Excuse me for a moment, ladies.” He picked up his phone and left the table.  
            After he was gone, Lauren let herself go. She looked sad and picked at her food. Harriet looked at her worriedly.  
            “Lauren, what’s wrong?” she asked sadly.  
            “I didn’t want Cooper to see me like this. He asks a lot of questions. Plus, I don’t want him to know why I’m upset.”  
            “Why are you upset?” wondered Harriet.  
            “I know I asked you to be my maid of honor just now, but the truth is, I’m not even sure there’s going to be a wedding.”  
            “Why wouldn’t there be a wedding?”  
            “Well…there’s another guy. I’m not sure if Cooper is my true love.”  
            Harriet dropped her fork. “What? Who’s the other guy?”  
            Lauren was about to explain what was going on when Harvey came back to the table, looking a bit worried. Lauren put on a fake smile.  
            “That was Ethan,” said Harvey. “Joel’s in the hospital.”  
            Harriet gasped.  
            “Who’s Joel?” asked Lauren.  
   
            ******  
             
            Harvey, Lauren, and Harriet found Ethan in the waiting room, pacing.  
            “Ethan,” said Harriet. “We came as soon as we heard. Is he okay?”  
            “We’re about to find out any minute now.” Ethan looked nervous and scared.  
            “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” said Harvey confidently. “By the way, this is Lauren, my fiancée. Lauren, this is Ethan. Him and Joel were at the party yesterday.”  
            “What exactly happened?” asked Lauren.  
            “He was trying to save a cat that was stuck in a tree and he fell,” explained Ethan.  
            “Awwww!” the girls said together. Then they both looked at Harvey.  
            Harvey crossed his arms. “What? I’m a guy. I’m not entitled to say ‘Aww’ when things happen, no matter how cat-related they are.”  
            Harriet playfully punched him in the arm.  
            “Ow,” said Harvey. “Why do you do that?”  
            “Grow up,” said Harriet. “I barely touched you.”  
            Then a doctor walked out.  
            “How is he, doc?” asked Ethan.  
            “Well, luckily, there’s nothing seriously wrong with your brother. It’s just a broken leg. Keep him off it for about eight weeks.”  
            “Don’t worry, I will,” said Ethan. “Thank you, doctor.”  
            When they were out of the hospital and Ethan and Joel were on their way home, Harvey’s phone suddenly rang. He looked at the caller ID.  
            “Aw, crud, it’s work!” said Harvey, annoyed.  
            “Why is the boss calling us so early in the morning?” wondered Harriet.  
            “Beats me,” said Harvey. “Maybe she has some work for us.” He answered the phone. “Hello?”  
            “Hey, Harvey,” said Black Dawn. “Listen, I need you and the Ringmaster over at the castle right away. I’ve got a new assignment for you.”  
            Harvey looked over at Lauren.  
            “Oh, go on,” said Lauren.  
            “Alright, we’ll be there in a half hour,” said Harvey, then hung up.  
            “Well, looks like our weekend of working together is going to start early,” remarked Harvey, smiling over at the Ringmaster.  
            “Weekend of working together?” asked Lauren.  
            “Come on!” Harriet grabbed Harvey’s hand excitedly and started pulling him away.  
            Harvey looked back, laughing. “I gotta go. See you Monday!”  
            They ran off, laughing and holding hands, and Lauren just sighed sadly to herself.  
   
            ******  
   
            They stopped on the curb about 15 minutes from the hospital.  
            “Why are we stopping here?” asked Harvey.  
            “He should be here any second now,” said Harriet, more to herself than to Harvey. “I’m tracking his mind signal.”  
            A car pulled up to the curb, and Harriet opened the back door. Harvey took the handle.  
            “Ladies first,” he said.  
            Harriet smiled and got in. Harvey slipped in after her and shut the door. The guy in the driver’s seat turned around.  
            “Mortimer!” exclaimed Harvey, smiling at his friend. “Good to see you, buddy.”  
            “I thought you might need a car,” said Mortimer. “And this,” he added, tossing Harriet her hat, which had her gloves tucked inside it.  
            “Thanks,” said the Ringmaster, putting on her costume. “Where’s my staff?”  
            “Um, staff not included,” said Mortimer.  
            The Ringmaster laughed.  
   
            ******  
   
            Black Dawn was sitting in her office, shooting baskets with a mini basketball and hoop attached to the back of her office door, when it opened. Harvey caught the ball, and the Ringmaster came in behind him.  
            “Nice catch,” said Black Dawn, holding out her hands.  
            Harvey threw it back and she caught it. She placed the ball back on her desk and took out a file.  
            “This is your new assignment,” she informed them. “You have 75 minutes to get the victim back here.”  
            Harvey picked up the folder, opened it, and looked at it. The Ringmaster peered over his shoulder. The victim’s name was Mike Thompson, and he was 17 years old.  
            “Come on!” cried Harvey excitedly, grabbing the Ringmaster’s hand and pulling her away.  
            “Good luck!” Black Dawn called after them.  
             
            ******  
   
            Lois Thomas saw the Ringmaster and Harvey come in, then ran into his room.  
            “Okay,” he said to himself. “I have a few hours.”  
            It took all his courage to dial the number, and when he finally did several minutes later, he got voicemail.  
            “Darn it!” he said. “Okay, plan B.”  
            He put his cell phone in his pocket, grabbed his car keys, snuck outside and hid behind his car. He watched as Harvey and the Ringmaster drove away in the opposite direction from where he would be going. He waited five minutes to make sure they were gone, then hopped in his car and drove off. He was terrified, but tried his best to keep it together.  
            Lois finally came up to the house, rang the doorbell, and waited nervously. As soon as he saw the familiar face that opened the door, however, his fear instantly vanished.  
            “Lauren,” he said quietly.  
  
  
 **It's a little late, but here's the next chapter, in all its 3200+ word glory.  
  
            NEU-on or before Thursday**


	48. Chapter 48-First Kiss

Thursday, June 23:

 

 

            Lauren slammed her car door shut and felt around in her purse for her keys as she walked up the steps to her house. She closed the door and locked it behind her, throwing her keys onto the hall table.

            “Oy-vay,” she said with a sigh. She flicked on the TV and turned it to Spongebob Squarepants. Then she grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and started writing her grocery list. Her phone beeped and she looked at it. Low battery. She turned it off and tossed it onto the couch beside her.

            She wrote her list and watched TV for about a half hour, when suddenly there was a knock at the door.

            Lauren got up and opened the door. She gasped when she saw who was standing there. She could hardly believe her eyes.

            “Lauren,” said Lois quietly.

           

            ******

 

            Harvey and the Ringmaster hid behind the bushes.

            “What are you thinking?” asked the Ringmaster.

            “I’m catching another mind signal,” Harvey said thoughtfully. “It’s his older sister. She’ll leave in a couple minutes.”

            “What do you wanna talk about?” asked the Ringmaster.

            Harvey looked at the Ringmaster. “Why don’t you tell me something?”

            “Like what?”

            “Why doesn’t Lois like me?”

            “Because you tried to kill him.”

            “But I tried to make things right.”

            “Something tells me that isn’t working. But at least you made a breakthrough with Twister.”

            “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did. You guys make a great band.”

            “Oh. Thanks. Hey, it looks like Mike’s sister is leaving!”

            “Perfect. Let’s go.”

           

            ******

 

            Lauren slipped her hand into Lois’ and pulled him inside, closing the door behind them.

            “Look, Lauren, I didn’t mean to-“ began Lois, but Lauren pressed her lips against his, cutting him off.

            A few seconds later, she pulled away and smiled at him.

            “Lois!” she cried. “You came back!”

            “Of course I did,” said Lois, smiling back.

 

            ******

 

            Mike Thompson was alone at home. His parents had gone out for the day, and his older sister, Tanya, was out with her friends. He would be home alone for at least 3-4 hours. He flicked on the TV and put on the Human Centipede, sitting down with a Pepsi and all the lights turned off.

            A half hour in, the evil scientist was explaining how he was going to turn them into a human centipede. Mike was shivering and whimpering on the couch.

            “Scary enough for you?” asked Harvey from behind the couch.

            Mike screamed and fell off the couch. He crawled towards the TV and turned it off.

            “Who-who’s there?” he asked in terror.

            “That wasn’t in the movie, Mike,” said Harvey with a dark chuckle. “Get the lights,” he hissed at the Ringmaster.

            “Right.” The Ringmaster took a few steps, then tripped over something. “Ow!” she cried.

            “Ringmaster!” Harvey snapped his fingers and the lights came on. Then he hurried over to make sure the Ringmaster was okay.

            “Yeah, I’m okay,” the Ringmaster said, getting up. “He’s getting away!” she cried.

            Mike was running towards the door. Harvey and the Ringmaster started running after him. The Ringmaster tackled Mike about 10 yards from the kitchen door.

            Harvey pulled out his gun. Mike opened his mouth, and Harvey stuck the barrel in. “No screaming,” he said. He tossed the Ringmaster some rope. “Here. Tie him up, just like I taught you.”

            “Okay.” The Ringmaster started fumbling around with the rope, then tied up Mike so tight that he cried out.

            “Shhhh,” the Ringmaster said softly. “Just relax.” She looked over at Harvey, and he smiled and nodded in approval.

            “How the fuck am I supposed to relax?” asked Mike angrily. “I’m fucking tied up, and I don’t even know what’s supposed to happen!” He started crying.

            “Don’t cry,” said the Ringmaster.

            “Don’t tell him not to cry,” said Harvey with a smile. “Watch,” he mouthed.

            Harvey leaned down and looked right at Mike. Mike whimpered and a fresh flow of tears started. Harvey reached out his right hand and stroked Mike’s cheek.

            “Shhhhh,” he said. “There’s no need for tears. At least, not yet. We’ve barely done anything to you. Trust me, this is nothing compared to what’s coming.”

            “Hey, how come you get to tell him not to cry?” the Ringmaster whined.

            “It’s not what you say or don’t say, it’s how you say it. It’s all in the presentation. You can say anything if it’s presented in the right way.” Harvey stood up slowly.

            “Oh.” The Ringmaster nodded as a smile spread across her face.

            “See, you’re getting it.” Harvey flashed her a smile.

            The Ringmaster absentmindedly spun the barrel of the gun while smiling at Harvey. “The darkness is in your eyes. I can see it.” She offered Harvey the gun. “Would you like this?”

            Harvey smiled darkly. “I think you already know the answer to that.”

            The Ringmaster withdrew the gun.

            “When was the last time you had sugar?” Harvey asked.

            “Before we left the castle for breakfast,” the Ringmaster replied.

            “Give me the gun.”

            The Ringmaster tossed Harvey the gun. He caught it and put it up against the left side of Mike’s head. Mike looked up at Harvey with tears in his eyes.

            “No,” he begged. “Please, please don’t,  _please_ don’t.”

            “Easy, Mike. Just tell me where the sweet stuff is.”

            “I don’t know. My parents lock it up.”

            Harvey sighed. “I really didn’t want to have to do this, but…Ringmaster. Silencer, please.”

            The Ringmaster reached into her pocket for the silencer.

            “No, no, stop, stop, stop!” cried Mike. “My sister has a secret stash in her room, okay?”

            “Where?” asked Harvey.

            “Under her bed. Her room is upstairs, on the left.”

            Harvey stood up and shifted from one foot to the other. “What about the bathroom?”

            “Upstairs on the right.”

            The Ringmaster giggled. “You have to go to the bathroom?”

            Harvey smiled sheepishly. “I forgot to go before we left the restaurant.” He started to walk away, handing the Ringmaster the gun as he went. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

            “Keep an eye on him, okay?” he told the Ringmaster.

            The Ringmaster went over to Harvey. “Harvey, I don’t think I can do this,” she said quietly.

            “Yes, yes, you can. You can do this. I’ll be right upstairs. Send me a mind message if anything happens. I’ll be right back. Just remember everything I taught you. You have the gun if he misbehaves.”

            “But what if I make a mistake?”

            “You’ll be fine. Just take a deep breath, and remember, you’re in control.”

            The Ringmaster nodded. “Okay. Hurry back.”

            “You got this,” Harvey assured her, then headed upstairs.

 

            ******

 

            “Lois,” said Lauren. “You came back.”

            “Of course, Lauren,” replied Lois. “I love you.”

            “Lois, I-“

            “I understand if you don’t trust me. And if you don’t believe me about-“

            “Harvey. I think it’s Harvey. That’s what you said. Right?”

            “Does that mean you believe me?”

            “Have a root beer,” offered Lauren. “Sit down. We need to…have a talk.”

 

            ******

 

            “Sooooooo…” The Ringmaster fingered the gun nervously. “What kind of music do you like?”

            Mike sobbed. “Please let me go.”

            “Sorry, I can’t do that.” The Ringmaster sighed. “Look, I know this situation isn’t ideal, and I’m trying to make small talk, but this is the first time I’ve done this kind of thing. Harvey’s teaching me how to do everything a different way than before, so I’m just trying to learn. Anyway, can’t you just humor me for a bit until my partner comes back?”

            “I don’t want your partner to come back!” cried Mike.

            “He should have been back by now,” said the Ringmaster. “I wonder what’s taking him so long.”

            The Ringmaster sat on the floor beside Mike.

            “What are you gonna do to me?” asked Mike nervously.

            “Well, nothing yet,” said the Ringmaster. “Right now I’m gonna just talk to you.”

            “Do you even know what you’re doing?” Mike asked.

            “Kinda,” said the Ringmaster.

            Mike shook his head. “No, you don’t. You only think you do.”

            “Do not.” She looked down at her lap. “I know what I’m doing.”

            “Oh, yeah? What are you doing?”

            The Ringmaster fingered the gun nervously again. She was beginning to feel a bit uneasy.

            “You shouldn’t talk that way to a girl with a gun.”

            “Heh. Your voice betrays you, villain girl.”

            The Ringmaster aimed the gun at Mike.

            “You really think you’re gonna shoot that thing? You’re not so tough. Drop the gun. You’ll never use it anyway.”

            The Ringmaster started whimpering and her hands started shaking uncontrollably. She fell to her knees, keeping one hand on the gun. Tears began rolling down her cheeks as she cried out for Harvey.

            “Harvey! Harvey! Harvey! Harvey!” she yelled out, in between hyperventilating breaths. She tried to control her breathing through her panic attack, but it was extremely difficult.

            “Ringmaster!” Harvey cried out desperately. He shot downstairs like a rocket and was knelt down beside her in a second, hands in hers, trying to get her to look at him.

            “Ringmaster? Ringmaster, what happened?” His voice shook.

            The Ringmaster tried to speak, but only squeaks and whimpers came out.

            “Ringmaster. Okay, it’s okay. Calm down.”

            The Ringmaster closed her eyes and listened to Harvey’s voice. After a long moment her breathing slowed and was eventually back to normal. The Ringmaster opened her eyes.

            “Are you okay?” Harvey asked.

            “Mmm-hmmm.” The Ringmaster nodded.

            “Good,” said Harvey, finally able to relax.

            It was then that he noticed the malicious laughter coming from Mike. He handed the Ringmaster a candy bar and took the gun from her.

            “You did this to her?” he asked Mike in a low, dangerous voice.

            “Maybe,” said Mike, with a malicious smile.

            “That does it!” roared Harvey, and cracked Mike across the face with the gun, then aimed the gun at Mike’s head. “I should pop you right here and now!” he yelled.

            The Ringmaster dove at Harvey and grabbed the gun.

            “Calm down!” she cried.

            “That bastard sent you into a full-blown panic attack! I should kill him right now!”

            “Remember what you taught me?” the Ringmaster reminded him. “No yelling. The slow kill.”

            Harvey dropped the hand that was grabbing for the gun, and his eyes softened.

            “Are you calm?” The Ringmaster extended the gun. “Can I give this back to you?”

            Harvey gave the Ringmaster a smile, took the hand with the gun, and slowly pushed it down to her side. The Ringmaster returned the smile. That was when Harvey’s cell rang.

            “That’s probably Lauren. Something to do with the wedding, maybe. I’m gonna take this. Stay here. Watch him.”

            “Wait, Harvey-“

            “You’re gonna be okay. You’re gonna be fine.”

            Harvey put a hand in hers and then took the call outside.

            “Hello?” he said.

            “Hi,” said the boss. Harvey could not detect her emotion just by hearing her voice.

            “Hi,” he said slowly. “Is something wrong?”

            “No.” Harvey heard Black Dawn shuffling some papers around on the other end of the phone. “I have some interesting news.”

            “Alright. Go ahead, tell me.”

            “You know Xavier?”

            “You don’t mean…?”

            “That’s right. The leader of the House of Villains, Xavier.”

            “What about him?”

            “He’s off the chair. He’s not the leader anymore.”

            “What about the Ringmaster’s letters?”

            “Don’t worry. They’ve all been given to Dylan Hayes, the new leader.”

            “Okay, good.”

            “She has the same chance at getting in. Maybe even a better chance.”

            “That’s great to hear!” Harvey felt his excitement growing.

            “But, well…let me find the papers. There are some new rules and stipulations.”

            “Oh?”

            “Here we go. No villain can-or has to be-killed by another villain for any reason.”

            “Are you serious?”

            “That’s what it says. So, goodbye.”

            “Goodbye?” Harvey asked, confused, as he took a peek through the window.

            “Well, I’m assuming that since I can’t kill you, or rather, I’m not exactly being forced to, that you’ll be on your way.”

            “On my way, right.” Harvey watched the Ringmaster through the window. She seemed to be in control, adjusting Mike’s head with her staff, tears running down his face.

            “Actually…I’m gonna stay.”

            “You….are?”

            “At least until the fight is over. You guys seem to need me.”

            “And maybe you need us, too?”

            “Pssh, no.”

            Black Dawn smiled. “Whatever you say, Harvey.”

            “I better go.”

            “Bye, Harvey. See you when you get back.”

           

            ******

 

            “Harvey’s gone until Monday,” said Lauren.

            “I know. He’s staying at the castle, along with Frank and Tom.”

            Lauren stood up so fast that her chair fell over.

            “What has he done to them?” she exclaimed.

            “Nothing,” said Lois quietly. “They…,” he swallowed, “went of their own accord.”

            “They  _what?”_

            “I’m sorry, Lauren. Frank and Tom are darkness, and, well…they went to the castle with Harvey.”

            Lauren put a hand to her mouth. Tears started running down her face. Somehow she managed to find her way over to the couch and sit down. Lois came over to check on her. He sat down beside her and put his arm around her.

            “I’m so sorry, Lauren,” he said, sincerely and quietly.

            Lauren wiped her tears away. “It’s okay. It’s really…okay.” She looked up at Lois, confused. “But what’s Twister going to think about you being here?”

            Lois smiled and shook his head. “I don’t care. None of that matters.”

            “But all that stuff that happened yesterday-“

            “Doesn’t matter. Lauren, you don’t understand.  _Nothing_ could keep me from seeing you. I love you.”

            Lauren threw her arms around Lois, wrapping him in a hug.

            “I love you, too! Not only that, but I wanna be with you, whether it’s for a day or a year, or forever. I don’t care how long it is, as long as I get to spend it with you.” She pulled back and looked into Lois’ eyes, smiling at the thought of being with him.

            “We just have to make sure Harvey doesn’t find out,” said Lois.

            “How is that gonna work, though? I mean, you’re Lois Thomas. People are gonna see us together.”

            “I’ll just say I’m someone else. I’ll say I’m Jeff Bridges. People will never know, and if they do, they’ll be so scared they’ll just address me as Jeff anyway.”

            “People are really that scared of you?”

            “Yeah, unfortunately.”

            “Oh.”

            “Don’t worry about it. Come on, let’s have some fun before Harvey comes back.”

           

            ******

 

            “Hey, you’re back!” the Ringmaster said excitedly, dropping her staff and looking back at Harvey.

            Harvey picked up her staff and handed it back to her. “Here, you dropped this.”

            “Oh.” The Ringmaster took it back. “Right. Who was on the phone? Was it Lauren?”

            “No, it was the boss.”

            “There’s someone worse?” cried Mike from the background.

            “Is she more powerful than you?” the Ringmaster asked Harvey.

            “I don’t know. You’ve worked with her longer. Is she?”

            “Maybe.”

            Harvey shrugged.

            “We actually don’t know,” said the Ringmaster. “What’d the boss want, anyway?”

            “Nothing really important.”

            The Ringmaster gave him a suspicious look. “Really?” she asked slowly.

            “What?” Harvey said innocently. “She just called to say hi.”

            Mike scowled at Harvey through his tears. “What a liar.”

            The Ringmaster started yelling. “Don’t you dare call him-!”

            “Ringmaster? Calm down.”

            The Ringmaster took a deep breath. “Right, right, right.”

            “What’s the matter? Scared?” Mike asked in a low, dark voice.

            “N-no,” stuttered the Ringmaster. Her hands were shaking slightly.

             _Remember, you’re in charge,_ Harvey told the Ringmaster in her mind.

            “Harvey?” squeaked the Ringmaster.

            “That’s it, I’m getting the gag,” said Harvey.

            “Gag?” Mike looked amused.

            “You have a gag?” asked the Ringmaster.

            Harvey smiled at her and patted his black bag. While Harvey reached into his bag, the Ringmaster smiled and looked a little more confident.

            “Here.” Harvey handed her the gag.

            The Ringmaster scowled at the gag. “What for?”

            Harvey chuckled. “It’s a gag.”

            “Right.” The Ringmaster turned it around, looking at it. “Um…well…”

            “Everything okay?”

            “Well, the thing is…I’ve never used one of these before.” The Ringmaster looked down at her feet.

            Harvey went over to her. “Hey, there’s no shame in that,” he reassured her.

            “Yes, there is,” said Mike with a laugh.

            The Ringmaster turned her back to Mike so he couldn’t see her, and wiped a tear from her eye.

            “I’m gonna fillet the guy,” grumbled Harvey under his breath. “I’m gonna go grab a knife from my bag.”

            The Ringmaster grabbed Harvey’s arm. “Wait,” she said quietly.

            “For what? He’s a victim. He doesn’t get to treat you this way. I mean, look at what he’s done to you.”

            “I just think we should wait until we get back to the castle.”

            “You’re right,” sighed Harvey. “Come here,” he said softly. “I’m going to show you how to use this, okay?” He carefully took the gag from her hands.

            The Ringmaster smiled weakly and nodded. “Okay.”

            Harvey took a candy bar from his pocket and put it in the Ringmaster’s hand. “Here, you better have this while I show you how to use the gag.”

            The Ringmaster nodded, opened her candy bar, and took a bite. Then she turned back around to watch Harvey put the gag on Mike.

            “Feeling a little better?” Harvey asked with a smile.

            The Ringmaster smiled and nodded happily. “Yep.”

            “Okay, now watch how I do this,” he said, strapping the gag onto Mike. He did it slowly, explaining to the Ringmaster what he was doing. Mike snickered. Harvey leaned down right next to Mike’s ear.

            “You are in for a world of pain,” he snarled.

            “Like I care,” Mike shot back.

            “Oh, you will,” Harvey warned.

            Harvey had the gag strapped onto Mike now, and it was just under his mouth on his chin. Now Harvey just had to put the gag into Mike’s mouth. Mike held his mouth closed, so Harvey pinched his nose.

            “Open,” he demanded.

            Mike shook his nose out of Harvey’s hands.

            “Ringmaster, see what Mike has in his fridge. Something along the lines of hot peppers.”

            “Found them!” the Ringmaster said excitedly, holding up a jar of hot peppers. She tossed them to Harvey.

            “Joke’s on you,” said Mike. “Those aren’t hot peppers!”

            Harvey searched through his bag until he found a small bottle full of a clear liquid solution and a small needle. He filled the syringe and stuck the needle into Mike’s arm, emptying the liquid into him. Mike immediately fell unconscious.

            “Thanks,” said the Ringmaster quietly, smiling up at Harvey.

            “I couldn’t stand that guy anymore,” Harvey snarled.

            “Harvey, calm down.”

            “Ringmaster, are you okay?”

            “I’m fine.”

            “I’m gonna do some work on him, right here and now.”

            “Harvey, you need to have some self-control.”

            “Who’s teaching who?” Harvey grinned at her.

            “Just wait until we get back to the castle, okay?” The Ringmaster smiled back.

            Harvey rolled his eyes affectionately. “Fine. But when we get there, I’m going to give him what he deserves.” He put his arm around the Ringmaster.

            The Ringmaster got up. “Well, then, we getter go.”

            Harvey tossed her the car keys. “Get in the car, okay? I’ll bring Mike out in a minute.”

            “Okay!” the Ringmaster squealed, and went out to the car to wait for Harvey.

            She felt some cramping and whimpered, holding her stomach. Harvey put Mike in the back and came around to sit in the driver’s seat.

            “Hey, are you okay?” he asked.

            “I have some slight cramping.”

            “Oh, I’m sorry. Just relax and take deep breaths.” He looked at her worriedly.

            “I’m okay. It’s not so bad. Can’t you just fix it with your powers?”

            “No, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” Harvey rubbed her back.

            “I’ll be fine.”

            “Okay.” Harvey gave one more worried look at the Ringmaster, and then drove off.

           

            ******

 

            Mike stirred in the backseat while the Ringmaster tried to breathe through the cramps. They had been driving for about 20 minutes when Mike began to wake up.

            “Ringmaster? Are you okay?”

            “No!” the Ringmaster whined. Harvey could tell she was in pain.

            “We’re almost back at the castle. Hang in there, okay?”

            “Harvey…please…” the Ringmaster whimpered.

            “Okay, it’s okay.” Harvey tried to relax the Ringmaster while they drove up to the castle. Harvey saw the castle was only a few minutes away.

            “Ringmaster, look, there’s the castle.”

            The Ringmaster looked up. “G-good,” she managed to get out.

            “It’s okay,” said Harvey. “You’re gonna be okay.”

            The Ringmaster nodded. “Okay.”

            “Where am I?” asked Mike. “What happened?”

            “Great,” muttered Harvey.

             _Harvey, do something,_ begged the Ringmaster through mind messaging.  _I can’t deal with that guy right now._

            “Settle down back there,” warned Harvey.

            “Okay. Oh, you’re that guy.”

            “Yeah, sure.”

            “Still got your ridiculous partner?”

            Harvey focused on Mike’s mind.

            “Ahhhh!” yelled Mike. “What the hell?” Mike started crying.

            Harvey let him free. He chuckled darkly. “Be a good boy, or I’ll give you another one, and it’ll be worse.”

            “I’ll be good, I’ll be good!” cried Mike.

            “Glad to hear it.” He turned his attention back to the Ringmaster. “How are you feeling?”

            “Bad,” the Ringmaster whimpered.

            “We’re here.” Harvey stopped the car.

            The Ringmaster opened the door and fell to the ground.

            “Ringmaster!” Harvey ran to her.

            “Harvey,” the Ringmaster said. “Help.”

            Harvey scooped her up. “It’s okay, I got you.”

            “Thanks.” The Ringmaster reached up and wrapped her arms around Harvey’s neck.

            “Are you okay? It’s so bad you can’t walk.”

            “I’ll be fine.”

            “You don’t look fine.”

            The Ringmaster tried to breathe through the almost unbearable cramping. It was so bad she could barely talk anymore.

             _Harvey,_ she thought to him.  _Just please get me inside. I need to use the bathroom. I’m extremely constipated._

            “Everything’s gonna be fine,” Harvey assured her.

            Harvey brought her up the opened drawbridge, which Twister had opened when she saw them coming. She immediately knew something must be wrong when she saw that Harvey was carrying the Ringmaster. As soon as Harvey brought the Ringmaster inside, Twister rushed to her best friend’s side.

            “Is she okay?” Twister was overcome with worry. “Harvey, what happened?”

            “We need to get her into the bathroom. She’s so constipated that she can’t walk. The cramps are too bad.”

            “I got her. I’ll get her to the bathroom, okay?” Twister took her best friend into her arms and smiled up at Harvey. “It’s okay. I got her.”

            Harvey nodded. “Ringmaster, are you okay?”

            The Ringmaster managed to nod weakly.

            “Okay. I’m gonna go get Mike. You feel better, okay?”

            “Mmm-hmmm,” muttered the Ringmaster, before the pain of the cramps took over again.

            Harvey struggled to get Mike into the castle, but once he got him in, he heard some troubling news from Twister. She ran to Harvey with tears in her eyes.

            “What’s wrong?” Harvey cried worriedly, rushing over to Twister. His head filled with horrible thoughts, thinking the worst had happened.

            “I’m fine, but the Ringmaster isn’t. She needs your help. She’s on the toilet and she can’t get anything out, and when she tries, the cramps only get that much worse because of the pressure. I don’t know what to do. She keeps asking for you. I’m hoping you can help. Please, you’ve got to!” she begged.

            Harvey abandoned Mike. He was now completely focused. He had to help the Ringmaster.

            “Stay here,” said Harvey. “I’ve got an idea. Watch him.”

            Twister knelt down beside Mike. “Thank goodness.”

 

            ******

 

            “Harvey!” the Ringmaster exclaimed when he came into the room. She looked up at him through her tears, kneeling on the floor, clutching her stomach. “Please….” The pain took over again, and a fresh flow of tears started.

            Harvey was down at her side in a second. “Ringmaster. Ringmaster, it’s okay. I’m gonna protect you. I have an idea. You might not like it very much, but-“

            “I don’t care,” the Ringmaster choked out. “Whatever it takes.”

            “Okay.” Harvey knelt down and looked right into her eyes. “I’m going to give you an enema.”

            “What’s that?” The Ringmaster’s voice shook noticeably. Harvey wasn’t sure if it was out of pain, fear, or both.

            “It’s a mix of water and soap that goes in your butt.”

            The Ringmaster looked apprehensive. “Why?”

            “It works really well to clean you out when you’re having trouble going to the bathroom.”

            The Ringmaster started crying, out of fear this time. “I’m scared! I don’t wanna do that. Please don’t make me.”

            Harvey lifted up the Ringmaster’s chin and looked worriedly into her eyes. He saw pure fear reflected back at him.

            “Ringmaster, I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t want to do, but this really needs to be done,” he said, calmly but firmly. “I can’t think of any other way to handle this, so we really need to do this. I’ll be here with you the whole time. I’ll even administer it.”

            “What about laxatives?” asked the Ringmaster.

            “They only work overnight. You’ll still be in severe pain for hours to come. We need to do this.”

            The Ringmaster hung her head dejectedly. “Okay,” she said in a whisper. Harvey heard her voice break and tears in her voice. It was awful. She sounded broken down, defeated, done, things that Harvey only heard-and only wanted to hear-from his victims. It tore right through his heart to hear her talk like that.

            “Ringmaster,” he said quietly. “We need to get you cleaned out. I know you can do this.”

            The Ringmaster tried to breathe, but ended up sobbing. She hung her head again.

            “Okay,” she said in the same, defeated voice. “I’ll do it.”

            Harvey felt another tear through his heart. He choked back a sob. The Ringmaster looked up at him.

            “Will you administer it?” she begged.

            “Of course,” said Harvey quietly. “I’m gonna go get my stuff now.”

            The Ringmaster nodded.

            Harvey hated seeing her in this position. Weak, upset, defeated, scared. Especially of him. It tore right through him.

            Harvey silently told himself to hurry back.

 

            ******

 

            Voicemail.  _Again._ Twister sighed. This time she yelled into the phone.

            “Dammit, Lois, this is the third time I’ve called! Pick up the phone and tell me where you are! I need to know! Why don’t you ever answer?”

            She hung up the phone. “Unbelievable,” she grumbled to herself.

            “Something wrong?”

            Twister looked over her shoulder and saw only the young man tied up in rope, looking up at her with searching eyes. Twister felt a twinge of sadness and pity that he was tied up, and was going to die at Harvey’s hands. But there was nothing she could do. She choked back a sob.

            Twister fumbled with her phone as she said, “Um…I don’t know if I should be talking to you.”

            Mike managed a smile. “I won’t tell.”

            Twister took a step closer to Mike. “Well…okay. My friend isn’t picking up his phone. I’m afraid he might be at…” she lowered her voice, “…Lauren’s house.”

            “Are you a bit jealous?” asked Mike.

            “No, it’s just….she’s Harvey’s girlfriend, and…we’re trying to keep it from him.”

            “H-Harvey’s girlfriend?” Mike’s voice shook.

            Twister choked back a sob and nodded. “If he finds out, he’ll kill us both.”

            “Us?”

            “Me and Lois.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “I can’t let him die. Especially not at Harvey’s hands.” She whimpered and a sob escaped her mouth.

            “What’s Harvey going to do to me?” asked Mike through his own sobs.

            Twister took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. She had to focus on consoling Mike while she still could.

            “Help,” begged Mike.

            “I can’t,” said Twister in a quiet, defeated voice. She tried to swallow, but couldn’t. “I wish I could, but I can’t help you escape. I’m so sorry.” She dropped to her knees and crawled closer to Mike. “Don’t worry, okay. Maybe it won’t be so bad.” Twister knew that wasn’t true. She’d heard the screaming. She’d seen the torture. Things she could never un-see. It would be horrible. It would be extremely painful.

            “That’s a lie.” Mike choked back a sob. “What’s he going to do to me? Be honest. It’s worse not knowing.”

            “Wanna bet? I hope the Ringmaster’s okay,” said Twister, worried about her friend.

            “The Ringmaster was there with Harvey today.”

            “I know. She’s my best friend, and thanks to Harvey’s arrival, now she’s his helper. She’s changed for the worse.” Suddenly Twister had a thought. “Wait….Harvey is probably going to be helping the Ringmaster for some time. I can try and get you out of here.”

            “Please hurry,” begged Mike.

            “I’ll do my best. Turn away from me. I need to get to the knot so I can untie it.”

            “You think you can?”

            “I’ll try.” Twister grabbed the rope and started working the knots.

            “Ow!” cried Mike, and tears started falling from his eyes.

            “I’m sorry,” Twister apologized. “It’s not my fault. He ties the ropes so tight.”

            “I know, I know.”

            Twister pulled at the ropes.

            “Ow!”

            “I’m sorry. Just a few more minutes, okay? Hopefully that won’t be too late.” She desperately struggled to get Mike out. Mike felt the ropes scrape away some flesh and hissed, gritting his teeth so as not to scream. Two lives hung in the balance. He did, however, squirm a little.

            “Mike, please, don’t squirm. You need to lay still so I can get you out, okay?”

            “Sorry.”

            “I hear someone coming!” Twister hissed.

            “No, no, no, please,” begged Mike in a whisper.

            Twister scrambled away from Mike, back to where she had been standing before, and pretended to be texting on her phone. Mike began sobbing again.

            Harvey came in. His head was lowered and he looked awkward.

            “Hey,” he said quietly.

            “Hey,” Twister said slowly, giving Harvey a suspicious look. “What’s wrong with you?”

            “The Ringmaster. I, uh, need my stuff.”

            “What stuff?” Twister asked, suddenly in a panic. “Stuff” usually meant his black bag.

            Harvey slowly looked up and over at his black bag. Little did Twister know that Harvey’s bag had enema equipment in it. She ran towards the bag and grabbed it before Harvey could make a move.

            “I am not….letting this bag…out of my sight,” Twister said in a low, dangerous voice.

            “Okay, then,” said Harvey. “I’ll just figure something else out.” He left the room and went towards Black Dawn’s office instead.

            Twister shrugged. “That was easy.”

 

            ******

 

            Black Dawn heard a knock on her door.

            “Not now!” she called.

            Harvey opened the door and entered anyway.

            “Black Dawn,” he said.

            “Harvey, I don’t have time,” said Black Dawn. “I’m literally buried in paperwork.”

            “Well, take a break, because I need you.”

            Black Dawn looked up from her desk. “Okay. When did you get back? Where’s the victim? And where’s the Ringmaster?”

            “Well, we’re in a bit of a bind…and the Ringmaster needs an enema. Do you have any enema equipment?”

            “Yeah, I’ll be right back.” Black Dawn rushed off and after a moment, came back with the equipment that Harvey needed.

            “She’s okay, right?” Black Dawn asked worriedly.

            “She’s only constipated. She’ll be fine after I give her an enema.”

            “Okay. You know where to find me.”

            Harvey left Black Dawn’s office and hurried back to the bathroom to help the Ringmaster.

           

            ******

 

            Harvey entered the bathroom.

            “Hey, Ringmaster,” he said. “How are you?”

            The Ringmaster whimpered and looked up. “Um…not good.” She looked at the enema equipment in fear.

            “Harvey, I really don’t want to do this,” she said.

            “I know, Ringmaster, I know,” said Harvey. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right here for you.”

            “Okay,” said the Ringmaster. She nodded. “Okay.”

            Another wave of cramps overtook her and she cried out, curling up into the fetal position once more.

            “I’m gonna fill the bag. We’ve gotta do this now, and we gotta do it quick.”

 

            ******

 

            Twister looked down at Harvey’s bag. “I can’t believe he just left this so easily.”

            “Wh-what’s in there?” Mike asked.

            “Don’t worry about it,” said Twister. “I just saved you, and possibly the Ringmaster.”

            “Really?” asked Mike.

            “Trust me. Without this bag, he won’t kill you. And since he’s letting me keep a hold of it, you’re safe.”

            “What if he wasn’t going to hurt the Ringmaster?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “What if there’s something in there that would help her?”

            “What…are you talking about?”

            “Well, she was constipated, right? What if there was like, laxatives or something in there?”

            Twister dropped the black bag. “Then we still need to get you out of here.”

            “You’re still going to get me out of here? Aren’t you scared?”

            “I’m scared for you.”

            “Aren’t you scared for…you?”

            Twister shook her head. “No. I’m trying not to think about that now.”

            Mike stared into Twister’s eyes. “I can’t let you do this.”

            “Yes, you can.”

            “No, I can’t.”

            “You can and you will.”

            “But-“

            “Shut up and help me help you.”

            “Okay. If there’s weapons in that bag…”

            “…there might be something in here that can help get you out.”

            Twister opened the bag and started pawing through it. Suddenly Tom walked in, looking down at his phone. Twister didn’t even know he was in the room until he said, “Candy time!” still looking at his phone, then opened the cupboard to find candy.

            When Tom declared, “Candy time!” Twister yelped in surprise.

            Tom closed the cupboard and looked over at her.

            “Oh, hey. I didn’t know you were here. Do you know where the Ringmaster is? I wanted to take her out for dinner.”

            “She’s indisposed at the moment.”

            “Okay. What are you doing there?”

            “Uh…” Twister’s throat felt tight. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her mind told her she had to move, but her body was frozen to the spot.

            “She’s just looking through Harvey’s stuff.” Mike spoke up. “What’s the big deal?”

            “Who the hell are you?” asked Tom, biting into a candy bar.

            “He’s Mike. Harvey’s victim.” Twister could barely choke out the words.

            “By the looks of it, your victim, too.” Tom waved the candy bar at them. “I know exactly what’s going on here.”

             _This is it,_ thought Twister.  _Goodbye, Lois. Please protect the Ringmaster._

            “I’m telling Harvey.”

            “Tom, no, wait, please!” Twister started to beg.

            “She didn’t do anything,” said Mike. He was already going to die anyway.

            “Yet,” said Tom.

            “She wasn’t going to.”

            “I don’t really believe it.”

            “Tom, please, can we keep this just between us? Harvey doesn’t have to know. It just kind of happened.”

            “You don’t want Harvey to know that you’re interested in torture.”

            Twister couldn’t answer right away. Her brain was trying to process what was happening. After a few seconds, she was able to formulate a response.

            “No. I don’t. Is…that cool?”

            “Okay. I won’t tell Harvey. But you have to do something for me.”

            Twister gave him an annoyed look. “What?”

            Tom chuckled a bit. “Don’t worry, it’s really easy. Just be a little nicer to Harvey. He’s a cool guy.”

            Twister looked at her feet. “I guess.”

            “So, are you going to do it?”

            “Do what?”

            “Do some torture stuff to Mike. I could bring him into Harvey’s torture room.”

            “Um…actually, I don’t think I’m ready for that. I was just looking at the stuff.”

            “Okay. Why don’t you go check on the Ringmaster, and I’ll clean up this stuff.”

            Twister snuck a glance at Mike, who mouthed, “It’s okay. Do it,” at her.

            “I guess so,” said Twister.

            Tom started putting the weapons back into Harvey’s bag, while Twister headed off to check on the Ringmaster, with one more secretive glance back at Mike.

 

            ******

 

            Harvey heard a knock on the bathroom door. He was almost done giving the Ringmaster the enema, talking her through it every step of the way.

            Of course, that wasn’t exactly the scene Twister saw when she walked into the bathroom at Harvey’s request.

            She gasped and lunged at Harvey. She didn’t even think, just jumped into action. All she had to think was, she had to save her best friend!

            Harvey was able to use his powers to keep his head from hitting the bathtub when he was knocked into it, when Twister yelled, “Get off her!” and jumped at Harvey, knocking him back.

            Harvey said, “Wait!” and held up his hands, but the next thing he knew, he was in the bathtub. Twister was bent over him, looking furious.

            “Twister-“ began the Ringmaster, but heard a gurgling in her stomach. She was on the toilet in a minute, and there was an explosion.

            Twister wasn’t paying attention to that. She was focused on Harvey.

            “Harvey, what the hell are you doing?!” she yelled.

            “I can explain,” said Harvey.

            “NO! You don’t get to explain! You just…”

            Twister started crying. She was done with everything that had happened that day, from everything that was happening with Lois to almost getting caught by Tom. She was having a breakdown.

            She sobbed and fell to the floor. She hugged her knees, buried her face in between them, and rocked back and forth.

            The Ringmaster said Twister’s name several times, but finally was able to break through to her best friend.

            “Hmmm?” Twister whimpered, looking up towards the Ringmaster.

            The Ringmaster reached out for her friend. “Come here,” she said gently.

            Twister wiped her tears with her sleeve and slowly got up, went towards her friend, and took the Ringmaster’s hand.

            “Thanks,” she said quietly.

            “You okay?”

            Twister sniffed the air. “It stinks over here.” She gasped as she finally realized. “Did you poop?”

            The Ringmaster nodded. “Thanks to Harvey.”

            Harvey was now out of the bathtub, standing, hands behind his back, and a small smile on his face.

            “Really?” There was hardly any emotion in her voice.

            “Yeah.” The Ringmaster nodded.

            “Did he use his powers?”

            “No, he gave me an enema. That’s what he was doing when you came into the bathroom.”

            “An enema…” Twister said thoughtfully. “I think I heard of one of those.”

            “It goes in your butt and it helps you with constipation.”

            “Oh,” Twister said. “Okay.”

            “It’s like a mix of soap and water. Harvey talked me through it and even administered it. He wasn’t hurting me.” She smiled at Twister. “He would never hurt me.”

            “You sure about that?”

            The Ringmaster crossed her arms. “You know, you’re not acting very nice.”

            “Oh, right.” Twister turned to Harvey. “Thanks for helping out. You didn’t do too bad.”

            Harvey smiled. Twister walked out.

            “Well, I guess that’s the best I’m gonna get,” said Harvey.

            “Pretty much,” said the Ringmaster. “She’s warming up to you, though. I can tell.”

            “That’s warming up to me?” Harvey asked, jerking his thumb towards the door.

            “Yup.” The Ringmaster nodded.

            Harvey tossed her a roll of toilet paper. “Get yourself cleaned up, and then we’ll have some fun with Mike.”

            The Ringmaster instantly became excited. “Okay!”

            Harvey left the room, closing the door behind him.

 

            ******

 

            “Hey, all,” said Harvey cheerfully, walking into the kitchen.

            Mortimer, Tom, and Black Dawn were all huddled in the kitchen, holding chocolate. Harvey could hear them talking quietly. He presumed they were talking about the Ringmaster. They must be worried. He didn’t know who knew about the Ringmaster and who didn’t. He hadn’t even done any mindreading. For the past 30 minutes or so, all his attention and focus had been on helping the Ringmaster.

            As soon as Harvey made his presence known, the three turned towards him, worriedly looking at him.

            “How is she?” asked Black Dawn quietly. “Did the enema work?”

            “She’s fine. It worked.”

            There was a collective sigh of relief throughout the group. There were high fives all around and even relieved laughter.

            “Where is she now?” asked Tom.

            “She’s fine, don’t worry about it. She’s just cleaning herself up in the bathroom.”

            “I was planning on taking her out to dinner tonight.”

            “Oh, she was gonna help me out.”

            “With what?”

            “Torturing Mike.”

            “Ah,” said Tom knowingly.

            “I can step down.”

            “You asked first.”

            “Where’s Mike, anyway?” Harvey asked, looking around. “He was right here in the kitchen.”

            “I just put him in the dungeon,” said Tom. “I didn’t know what you wanted to do with him.”

            “Thanks, I’ll handle him.” Harvey left the room and went down to the dungeon. He had to search for the light and tried to find his footing on the stairs.

            “Alright, that’s not gonna work,” said Harvey, and just let his power out. The stairs tilted until they created a ramp.

            “Much better,” said Harvey, smiling proudly at his work.

            Mike’s cage was at an angle where he could watch Harvey release some of his darkness, and see the effect it had on the stairs. He just stared in shock and horror, wondering in terror what else this man was capable of.

            “Mike, where are you?” called Harvey casually. “Oh, there you are.”

            Making as little noise as possible, Mike had tried to shuffle into the darkness in the corner of the cage. However, Harvey saw Mike anyway.

            Harvey opened up the cage using his powers.

            With his limited sense of movement, Mike shuffled and crawled into the farthest corner of the cage surprisingly quickly.

            Harvey just crawled into the cage after Mike.

            “D-don’t,” Mike managed to squeak.

            Harvey just rolled his eyes, grabbed Mike’s arm, and pulled him out of the cage, slamming the door behind him with his foot. He then continued to pull him up the ramp and out the door. He dragged Mike into his special torture room and pushed him in, turning around to pull the door shut. Not having his legs tied, Mike tried to kick Harvey while he was turned around. Harvey spun around and caught Mike’s foot.

            “You are really going to regret that,” Harvey said coldly, as Mike stared back in terror. He could see in Harvey’s eyes that he  _was_ going to regret his actions.

            Harvey finally got him restrained. Mike was sobbing.

            Harvey chuckled darkly, and when he heard it, Mike felt a block of ice descend into his stomach. He pulled at his restraints, the metal digging into his wrists.

            “Uncomfortable?” asked Harvey. “Good.” He turned around and left the room without another word, leaving Mike not knowing when he would be back or what he would do, leaving Mike more terrified than before.

            Harvey went back up to the Ringmaster’s room. He put his ear to the door, and heard nothing. He knocked gently on the door. No answer. Harvey opened the door. He smiled to himself when he saw the Ringmaster fast asleep in her bed. He walked over and covered her with a blanket, then turned out the lights. Before he shut the door behind himself, he whispered, “Good night, Ringmaster.”

           

            ******

 

            Lauren and Lois sat on the floor in front of the couch, surrounded by root beer bottles. It was now late evening. It had been hours since either one of them had said a word.

            Lois was resting his head in his hands. Lauren was sitting with her knees tucked up to her chest, one hand holding her root beer, the other hand pressed flat against the floor. It had grown dark about an hour ago, but neither Lois nor Lauren had bothered to get up to turn on any lights. There was a light on in the kitchen, but there wasn’t much light in the house otherwise.

            Suddenly Lauren spoke. “I’m going to do it.” It was barely audible, and Lauren’s voice cracked.

            Lois looked at her. “Do what?” he squeaked.

            “I’m going to take the torture.”

            Lois felt like he had just been punched in the gut. Did she really just say that?

            Lois opened his mouth, ready to squeak out his next thought, however, it came out much louder than he had expected.

            “WHAT??” yelled Lois so loudly that Lauren jumped and covered her ears.

            Lauren got up and turned on the living room light. She could see that Lois had started silently crying. He stood up, staring at her.

            “Why?” he managed.

            Lauren quickly went back over to Lois and sat beside him.

            “Because I have to.”

            “What do you mean, you have to?”

            “I have to for you. So you can be safe.”

            “What?” It was more a breath than a word.

            “If I leave now, Harvey will know that you told me. He’ll…kill you.”

            This started a new flow of tears. The worst part was that Lois knew she was right. Black Dawn’s rules would not matter to him. He would kill Lois and Lauren.

            “You…you can’t. Please!” Lois begged.

            “Lois, don’t start.”

            “But you just can’t,” whispered Lois.

            “Lois, I need you to be strong for me. I have to do this. I’m doing this to save you, you have to understand that. It’s either me or both of us. I just have to do this. I’m really sorry. Please let me enjoy what little time we have left together.”

            Lois felt more horrid than he had ever felt in his entire life, but he managed to choke out the word, “Okay.”

 

        **A/N: Sooooo many emotions in this chapter. I can't believe that Lauren is willing to die for Lois!**


	49. Chapter 49-Harvey Makes Two Discoveries In One Chapter

****

            Things took a turn for the worse the next day. The Ringmaster got her period, which came with unusual bursts of darkness that came and went for most of the morning, seemingly synced up with her period cramps.

            The first burst came in the morning, just after breakfast.

            Harvey had cereal again. Twister had gone out for the day, as had the boys, so it was just Mortimer, Harvey, and the girls. Black Dawn had paperwork to finish up, Mortimer didn’t feel like going out, and Harvey and the Ringmaster wanted to stay in and have some fun with Mike.

            “So what are we going to do today?” the Ringmaster asked excitedly over breakfast. “Other than torture Mike.”

            Harvey chuckled. “Maybe watch a movie. Play pool, get pizza, whatever you like.”

            “I’d like to beat you in pool,” said the Ringmaster with a smile.

            “Not if I beat you first,” Harvey shot back.

            “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”

            Harvey chuckled. “I look forward to it.”

            “As do I,” the Ringmaster said, with a devious smile.

            “Pancakes are ready,” said Mortimer. “Ringmaster, I put chocolate chips in yours.”

            “Thanks, Mortimer,” said the Ringmaster.

            “No problem. Hold out your plate.”

            “Oh, no, Mortimer. Not again. No, don’t!”

            Mortimer flipped the pancake over his shoulder without looking back. Then he flipped the second and third. The Ringmaster hurried back and forth with her plate, but she didn’t catch a single one. Luckily Harvey caught the pancakes with his powers and rested them gently on the Ringmaster’s plate.

            “Thanks, Harvey,” said the Ringmaster.

            “Am I at least getting closer?” asked Mortimer.

            “No!” cried everyone in the room.

            “Who had the blueberry?” asked Mortimer.

            “Me,” said Black Dawn. “Don’t you dare flip mine!” she quickly added, giving Mortimer a playful shove and grabbing the spatula from him.

            “Anyway, Harvey, I just wanted to say…well, what you did for me yesterday…thank you so much. It was just incredible. I mean, I don’t know anybody else who would’ve done what you did for me last night,” said the Ringmaster, smiling at Harvey.

            “Hey, I would do anything for you,” said Mortimer.

            “Harvey gave me an enema last night,” the Ringmaster informed him.

            The pancake that Mortimer had just flipped landed on the ceiling.

            “Oh, uh…that’s fine. Harvey can handle that.”

            The Ringmaster laughed, and a small snort came out.

            “Did you just snort when you laughed?” asked Harvey.

            “Oh, yeah. Excuse me,” said the Ringmaster.

            “I thought it was cute,” said Harvey.

            “Thanks.”

            “Oh, Black Dawn, remind me to get you back that enema equipment.”

            “Harvey,” said Black Dawn. “Just, uh, wash it first.”

            “Right,” said Harvey, with a sheepish smile.

            “Actually, hold onto it for a while longer,” said the Ringmaster through a bite of pancakes. “Harvey, I found some awesome enema ideas in the second chapter of your book.”

            “Oh, you’ve been reading it,” said Harvey with a smile.

            “Mmm-hmmm.” The Ringmaster nodded enthusiastically.

            “What were you thinking about doing?”

            “Guys,” said Black Dawn. “No business over breakfast.”

            “I’ll tell you after,” said the Ringmaster.

           

            ***

 

            Twister’s alarm went off at 7 am. She knew exactly what she needed to do. She was worried about Lois, but she knew why he was doing what he was doing. She had been in love before.

            She got dressed and started heading out. She went to see Black Dawn first, and knocked on her door.

            “Come in!” called Black Dawn.

            Twister entered.

            “Hey. You busy?” she asked.

            “No,” replied Black Dawn, looking up from the show she was watching. “Just chilling. You heading out now?”

            “Yeah.”

            “See you later.” Twister turned to leave.

            “Twister.” Twister turned back around. “Don’t get caught.”

            Twister didn’t say anything more. She just turned around and left. As she closed the drawbridge behind her, Black Dawn’s words rang in her head.

            _Don’t get caught._ Wouldn’t Black Dawn be able to protect her and Lois? Or did Black Dawn not want them to get caught because she knew she couldn’t protect them? What if Lois was right? What if Harvey was more powerful than Black Dawn? That thought scared Twister a thousand times worse than what she was about to do.

 

            ***

 

            Lois lay with his eyes closed for several minutes before he realized he was awake. He slowly raised his head up from the pillow. The first thing he noticed was a pounding headache. The second thing he noticed, when he threw the covers back, was that he was only in his underwear.

            He quickly ran out to the kitchen, where Lauren was cooking breakfast.

            Lauren turned around and saw him. “Morning, Lois. I’m almost done with the bacon and eggs! Nice underwear, by the way.” She waved her spatula in his direction.

Despite his feelings for Lauren, Lois instinctively covered himself with a blanket from the couch. Lauren giggled.

            “What?” Lois asked.

            “Please, I already saw everything there is to see!”

            Lois’ mouth hung open. “What…what did we do last night?”

            “Well, we…you know…”

            “Had sex?”

            Lauren shrugged. “If you wanna be that black and white about it.”

            Lois plopped down onto the middle seat of the couch. “Shit,” he breathed.

            Lauren laughed. “How do you like your eggs?”

            “Sunny side up,” said Lois, with a small smile.

            “Bacon?”

            “Erm…extra crispy.” Lois put the blanket back on the couch. “I’m gonna go get dressed.”

            “Good call. Want any hash browns?”

            “Actually, I’m allergic.”

            “To hash browns?”

            “To potatoes.”

            “That stinks.” Lauren cracked an egg onto the skillet.

            “Tell me about it,” said Lois, pulling his pants on. “I used to _love_ potatoes when I was a kid. Baked, fried, cheesy. I loved them with ketchup or butter, it didn’t matter. But my favorite was my mom’s potato soup. Then, when I was 13, I got a horrible case of hives after dinner. It happened 6 more times after that, until my parents took me to the allergist. He tested me for all the foods I loved to eat, and discovered that it was the potatoes. I was so bummed. It’s been fifteen years since I had potatoes.”

            “That’s a real bummer.”

            Lois pulled his t-shirt over his head. “Yeah, it really is. But, I mean, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

            “There’s nothing you can do? No pill you can take? Nothing?”

            “Even the strongest treatments don’t help much.” Lois shrugged. “That’s just how life goes sometimes.” He pulled his arm through his sweater sleeve.

            “Well, hey, at least you’re not allergic to like, chocolate or pizza or something.”

            “Heh. Good point.”

            _Ding-dong!_

            Lois gasped. Lauren opened her mouth to say something, but Lois put a finger to his lips. He took Lauren’s hand and pulled her into her room, closing the door behind them.

            “Be quiet,” whispered Lois. “Only whisper.”

            “Why?” whispered Lauren.

            “It’s him.”

            “No, it isn’t. He would text me if he was coming home. And he would use his key in the door, not ring the doorbell.”

            “Unless he knows I’m here, and he doesn’t want us to know it’s him.”

            “If he catches us, who knows what he’ll do to you?”

            “What are we going to do?”

            “Quick. I’ll get the door while you climb out the window and escape.”

The doorbell rang again.

Lauren left the room, closing the door behind her. She took a deep breath, ready to face Harvey, and possibly her death. She slowly walked to the door and opened it.

            Twister was standing on the front porch, tears running down her cheeks.

            “Is he here? Please tell me he’s here! He _has_ to be here!”

            Lauren opened her mouth to tell Twister that Lois was indeed there, but stopped when she heard the bedroom door open.

            “I’m here,” said Lois.

            A smile broke out onto Twister’s face. “Lois!” she cried, and ran to him, hugging him. She cried, from relief this time.

            She looked back at Lauren, who expected Twister to yell at her.

            Instead, she said, “Thank you for taking care of him.”

 

            ***

 

            Black Dawn and Mortimer were clearing away the breakfast dishes when it happened. The first attack.

            It was about 30 minutes after they had started eating. Mortimer called Harvey over.

            “Hey, Harvey, check this out!” he said. “I’m a cereal killer.” He held up one of his Cheerios and made his voice high. “No, please, don’t hurt me!” He then returned to his normal voice. “I’m going to kill you, man.” He held up his spoon, preparing to smash the Cheerio.

            “Wait!” cried Harvey.

            Mortimer stopped. “What’s wrong?”

            “You can’t kill that Cheerio. I still need it.”

            “For what?”

            “For this.” Harvey picked up the piece of cereal and ate it.

            Mortimer made an upset face. “That was my victim.”

            “Yeah, well, now it’s mine.”

            “I thought you were going to try and get my breakfast to join the dark side.”

            “That may have been a better call,” admitted Harvey.

            “You better not do that once I have a real victim.”

            “I won’t.” Harvey smiled. “Don’t worry. You’ll get to have your fun.”

            “When?”

            Harvey chuckled. “I expected that question. Soon.”

            “How soon?”

            “I’m working on the Ringmaster right now.”

            “How long is that going to take?” Mortimer poured himself another glass of orange juice. “And why can’t you work on more than one of us at once?”

            “I don’t know. As for your second question, it’s a pretty serious undertaking. At least for the first couple of months. After the villains pass their first test, they usually become a lot more independent, so after the Ringmaster passes the test, then I can take on another one of you. Since you won’t stop bugging me, it’ll probably be you. I also like to focus on one villain at a time.”

            “There’s a test?” the Ringmaster asked.

            Harvey turned to her. “Yup.”

            “How long until she takes the test?” asked Mortimer.

            “Two or three months, give or take,” Harvey replied.

            “That’s not too bad. Also, you’ve done this before?”

            “No, but that’s how my dad did it.”

            “When do I get to take the test?” asked the Ringmaster.

            “When you’re ready,” said Harvey lightly, with a shrug.

            “I’m ready!” the Ringmaster practically yelled.

            Harvey gave a chuckle. “Calm down.”

            “Okay, okay.”

            “Let me rephrase myself. You’ll get to take the test when I deem you’re ready.”

            “Aww,” the Ringmaster said.

            “Don’t worry, it’ll happen.” Harvey smiled, and the Ringmaster smiled back. Then she whimpered and grabbed her abdomen as Black Dawn and Mortimer began cleaning up the dishes.

            “You okay?” asked Harvey worriedly.

            “Yeah,” said the Ringmaster, as the pain went away.

            “It’s just period cramps,” said Black Dawn. She looked to the Ringmaster. “I’ve got mine, too.”

            “What’s the deal with girl’s periods syncing up?”

            Black Dawn shrugged. “Pheromones?” It was more a question than a concise answer.

            “The reason we all sync up is for protection. It’s so we don’t get singled out and targeted by guys. At least, that’s what my mom told me. Also, it’s nice to have friends who are going through the same thing you are.”

            “Gee, thanks,” said Black Dawn, sarcasm seeping into the words.

            The Ringmaster giggled a bit as she saw her friend flash her a cheeky smile and roll her eyes.

            Harvey reached for another piece of bacon, but Black Dawn stopped him.

            “The leftover bacon is for BLTs later. Everyone’s gotten two pieces of bacon and that’s it.”

            “Okay.” Harvey wanted more bacon, but left it alone.

            He heard the Ringmaster whimper again, and turned around to see if she was okay.

            He looked over to his friend, and was about to ask her if she was okay, but as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, the Ringmaster looked up and into his eyes. Harvey saw darkness in her eyes, but not the normal kind. The other kind. The kind that she had just been introduced to, and might have trouble controlling for the first few months.

            In a split second, he was at the Ringmaster’s side. He pinned her wrists to her sides, his eyes looking into hers.

            The Ringmaster started yelling instantly. “Let me go, let me go, let me go!”

            Harvey could tell by her outburst that she was experiencing classic symptoms of darkness takeover. Not only could she not control the darkness, she didn’t remember where she was or who was around.

            “Let me go, you fucker!” she screamed.

            Then the Ringmaster stopped screaming and struggling, just as quickly as she had started.

            Harvey saw the darkness disappear from her eyes, and released her the second it was gone, taking a breath of relief.

            The Ringmaster’s smile returned to her face, and she giggled innocently. “I think we left Mike strapped down all night,” she said with laughter in her voice, as if nothing had ever happened.

            “I think you’re right,” said Harvey, a bit hesitantly.

            The Ringmaster’s smile turned to confusion, and she began looking around at her friends.

            “What?” she asked slowly. “Why is everyone looking at me?”

 

            ***

 

            Lauren sat on the couch, not sure exactly what to do as she heard Twister and Lois quietly talking to each other in the bedroom with the door closed. She was drinking another root beer, worried about what they were saying. She also worried that Twister would pull Lois away and make him go back to the castle, like she had before. She just put something on the TV, she didn’t care what, and tried not to eavesdrop on their conversation.

            “Are you okay?” asked Twister. Her voice cracked.

            “Yeah, I…I’m fine.”

            But Twister could tell that something else was going on. “Lois, what the hell is wrong?” she demanded quietly.

            “It’s…it’s…” His voice had a tone that Twister had never heard. He sounded completely dejected. He sounded…empty. It was a tone that she didn’t want to hear. Tears started running down her cheeks just from hearing Lois so… _broken._ She swallowed loudly. “Lois? Please talk to me.”

            Lois took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

            “Lauren is going to…”

            “Going to what?” asked Twister worriedly.

            “She says she’s doing it for me. To keep me safe. If she doesn’t let him kill her, he’ll kill us both. And not quickly.”

            “She’s going to sacrifice herself?”

            Lois nodded. “She says she needs me to be strong for her, and that she wants to spend her few remaining days with me.”

            “She isn’t scared?”

            “She is. But she says she has to do it.”

            “Does she know how painful it’s going to be?”

            “I warned her.”

            “And she’s still going to do it?”

            “Yeah. She thinks it’s the only way. And she’s kinda right. She made some good points.”

            “This can’t be the only way.” It was barely a whisper.

            “It is. Think about it. If Lauren and I leave together, Harvey will know. He’ll hunt us down.” Lois wiped away a tear.

            “This sucks!”

            “Sometimes things just happen, and there’s nothing you can do.” Lois was looking at his feet. “I mean, unless the boss can do something.”

            “Well…”

            Lois glanced up hopefully.

            “Um…well, when I was leaving, she said, ‘Don’t get caught’ to me. Th-there was a hint of fear in her voice. Sh-she can’t help us, Lois. I’m so sorry. There’s nothing we can do for Lauren.”

            Lois started sobbing. “This can’t be happening!”

            Twister put her arms around him and held him for what felt like hours, even though it was probably only 10 or 15 minutes.

            “Finally Lois said, “Okay. I just wanna go hang out with Lauren. While I still can.”

            “Okay,” said Twister, nodding.

            “Twister.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Will you stay?”

            “Of course.”

 

            ***

 

            “Darkness takeover?” asked the Ringmaster, confused and also upset. She was having a hard time processing what Harvey had just told her.

            Everyone was at the table, and they had all listened to Harvey talk about the darkness takeover.

            The Ringmaster was looking very confused and overwhelmed.

            “So…what does that mean?” the Ringmaster worried. “Could I hurt somebody? One of my friends? I don’t want to attack one of you guys!”

            “At least we can defend ourselves,” said Mortimer. “I mean, we have powers. What happens if she attacks Lois or Twister?”

            The Ringmaster gasped. “Oh, no! I don’t wanna do that. What do I do?”

            “You can’t do anything, Ringmaster,” said Harvey empathetically, taking her hands in his.

            “Why is this happening to me, Harvey?” asked the Ringmaster.

            “Remember when the darkness hit you all at once and I said that sometimes when that happens, there are side effects?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Darkness takeover is something that can happen.”

            “So how do we handle this? How do I not attack you guys?”

            “There’s nothing you can really do, but I’ll do whatever I can to keep you from hurting anybody.”

            “I just can’t believe this is happening to me.”

            “Hey, it’ll be okay, I promise.”

            “Ringmaster, we’ll all help you to control this,” said Mortimer.

            “Yeah, we’ll figure it out,” said Black Dawn. “You’ll be okay.”

            “You guys are the best. What would I do without you?” The Ringmaster stretched out her arms, and everyone leaned in for a hug.

 

             ***

 

            Lauren stared at the TV screen blankly.

            “Lauren?” asked Lois. “Are you okay?”

            “No, of course not. I just…well, I was wondering…”

            “Wondering what?” asked Twister.

            “Well…” Lauren got on her phone. “”I took this picture weeks ago. It’s something that happened in an abandoned bowling alley.” She showed them the picture. “Is this Harvey’s work?”

            Twister covered her mouth. Tears were in her eyes. Lois ran to the bathroom and promptly threw up.

            Twister nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

            “That’s Harvey’s work, all right,” said Lois from the bathroom.

            “Oh, my gosh,” Lauren whispered. She fell to her knees and started breathing erratically.

            “Lauren?!” cried Lois. Twister ran to her, Lois right behind.

            “She’s having a panic attack!” cried Twister.

            Lois took Lauren’s hands in his. “Lauren? Are you okay?”

            Twister knelt down. “Lauren. Look at us. You’ll be okay.”

            Lois pulled a package of pills out of his pocket. “Lauren. I want you to focus on me, okay? Look into my eyes. I want you to let this pill dissolve on your tongue, okay? Can you do that for me?”

            Lauren nodded and opened her mouth. Lois put the pill on her tongue.

            “What are those?” asked Twister.

            “Xanax. They calm me down. I had to get them after Harvey moved in.”

            “Shhhh!” waned Twister. She jerked a thumb towards Lauren.

            “No, it’s okay,” said Lauren. “I’m…I’m good.”

            “You can’t do this,” said Lois. “There’s got to be a way out.”

            “Lois, you know there isn’t,” said Lauren.

            “But there’s got to be! We could figure out a plan!”

            “There is no plan, Lois! I have to keep you safe.”

            “And _I_ have to keep _you_ safe.”

            “There’s no way we can all be safe,” said Twister. “Have you seen him?”

            “No way we can all be safe?” asked Lois.

            “No,” said Twister quietly.

            “Then I’ve got to do it,” said Lois.

            “What?” the girls cried together.

            “I said-“

            “We heard,” said Twister. “But…”

            “…You’re not sacrificing yourself,” said Lauren firmly.

            “Yes, I am,” said Lois.

            “Why?” asked Lauren.

            Lois and Twister gave each other a knowing but worried look.

            “Should we tell her?” asked Twister.

            “I think so.”

            “Tell me what?”

            Twister bit the inside of her cheek nervously. Lois bit his bottom lip and looked down.

            “Well…I was a victim of Harvey’s a long time ago,” he finally said.

            “You were?” Lauren grabbed his chin and tilted it up so they were looking into each other’s eyes.

            Lois gave a small whimper. He took a deep breath. “Yes. Years ago, I was his victim. He tormented me for over 16 months. First it started with bumps in the night, and shadows. It wasn’t that bad at first. Then the nightmares started. Every night I woke up crying, screaming, drenched in sweat. I would shake in fear, too scared to move, sometimes even too scared to call out for my parents. My grades started slipping. He would do worse things to me every night in my dreams. I tried to hold on, but I would be so tired I would start falling asleep in class. Then, of course, the nightmares, and me waking up in a total freak-out. My parents pulled me out of school. A couple weeks later, I developed insomnia.”

            Twister was horrified, not only at the words she was hearing, but at the morbid tone in Lois’ voice and the dark look in his eyes as he recalled his terrible past. Tears welled in her eyes.

            “Everything was fine for about a week. I thought things were going to get better. My parents tried to homeschool me. Then I started hearing him.”

            “What kinds of things did he say?” Lauren asked.

            Lois bit his lip and shook his head.

            “I would see him sometimes, too. He made me getting an education pretty much impossible. I couldn’t do anything. I had never been the kind of person to be scared of the imaginary monster in the closet. But this was different. This monster was very real. My parents kept taking me to different doctors, who just kept putting me on different medications. I was on way more medications than I had been on in my life. But the medication did nothing. My parent didn’t believe this was real. I felt like there was nothing I could do.

            “Then everything stopped one day. I fell asleep that night. My insomnia seemed to be a thing of the past. I don’t remember my nightmares, but I do remember waking up with a sense of dread. However, I do remember one single moment. He taped a quarter to my hand for no good reason. I was kind of relieved that I didn’t remember anything of my dreams except for one tiny thing. I hoped things would be that way from now on, with me not remembering the horrible things he did to me. Everything was fine, until I felt something on my hand. It was the quarter, taped to my hand.”

            “Lois, stop!” cried Twister in fear.

            Lauren was crying. Twister was shaking.

            “I’m okay,” said Twister. She took a deep breath. “I’m okay,” she said in a voice a lot less shaky.

            Twister flopped back onto the couch. Lois held Lauren while she cried. Lauren sniffed and wiped her eyes.

            “It’s okay, Lauren,” said Lois. “I got away.”

            “I am _not_ letting you sacrifice yourself. The way you told that story…I don’t want you to go through that again…and more.”

            “It’s got to be either you or me,” said Lois. “I mean, this is ridiculous! Why can’t we just take Lauren to the heroes for protection?”

            Twister sighed. “The heroes barely saved you when it was just Harvey. But it seems that the Ringmaster is on his side now. And as your favorite TV show character said, ‘The needs of the many-‘”

            “Outweigh the needs of the few,” finished Lois in barely a whisper.

            “If we go to the heroes now, we’re going to put them in some very real danger. Plus, even if you sacrifice yourself, Harvey will still kill Lauren. There’s only one way this can end.”

            Lauren nodded. “I’m fine. I can do it.”

 

            ***

 

 

            Harvey knocked on the Ringmaster’s door.

            “Come in!” called the Ringmaster.

            Harvey opened the door. “How are you?”

            “I think I’m feeling better.”

            “That’s good to hear.” Harvey sat down on her bed. He pointed to the book she was reading. “Is that one of the books I gave you?”

            “Yeah.” The Ringmaster showed him.

            “Good stuff, huh?”

            The Ringmaster gave a small nod.

            “You’re worried about the darkness takeover, aren’t you?”

            The Ringmaster closed the book and put it aside. “Yeah,” she admitted. “I don’t wanna hurt anybody, you know what I mean?”

            Harvey nodded. “I don’t know if there’s anything we can do though. Most of the time, the darkness takeover follows a pattern, but as far as I know, there’s no way to stop it.”

            “How often does it happen?” asked the Ringmaster.

            “2 times a day, at least.”

            “So what, you’re just supposed to hold me back at least twice a day for the next few months? How is that going to work?” the Ringmaster cried. “You don’t even live here!”

            “Ringmaster, calm down, okay?” said Harvey. “We’ll figure it out.”

            “How?” the Ringmaster asked quietly.

            “We’ll find a way, Ringmaster. Okay?”

            “You’ve got to hold me back if it happens again.”

            “Don’t worry. I will. But I think we should tell Lois and Twister not to come back until we get this figured out.”

            “I think that’s a good idea,” the Ringmaster reluctantly agreed.

            They walked out to the living room, where once again, the villains were sitting on the couch and talking quietly to each other. They looked up when Harvey and the Ringmaster walked in.

            “Did you guys figure it out?” asked Mortimer.

            “Not exactly,” said the Ringmaster, grabbing a Kit Kat out of the bowl on the coffee table.

            “We decided that we should get Lois and Twister to stay away until we work something out,” said Harvey, grabbing an Aero bar.

            “That bad, huh?” said Black Dawn, in a concerned voice.

            Harvey nodded. “Unfortunately.”

            “Okay,” said Black Dawn. “I’ll call them.”

 

            ***

 

            After having talked for so long, Lois, Twister, and Lauren decided to just enjoy the few days that they had together and just pretend that Lauren would not be killed in a couple days’ time. They decided to start with making lunch.

            “Is it cool if I make pancakes?” asked Twister.

            “Sure,” said Lauren, taking out a frying pan. “Why pancakes?”

            “They were gonna make pancakes at Darkstar Corp. today,” replied Lois.

            “I was really excited,” said Twister. “They always put chocolate chips in mine. That’s the only way I eat them.”

            “Can you put chocolate chips in mine, too?” asked Lauren. “I’ve never tried that before.”

            “Sure,” said Twister. She turned to Lois. “Lois? Chocolate chips?”

            “Mmm, sounds great!”

            “Okay, how many?”

            “4 or 5 for me,” said Lauren, grabbing pancake batter from the top cupboard. “Here you go. A full box, hasn’t been opened yet. Lois, can you get the chocolate chips? They’re in that drawer.” Lauren pointed.

            “Sure.” Lois grabbed two bags of chocolate chips from the drawer next to the sink.

            “Lois, how many pancakes do you want?” Twister asked.

            “5 or 6 should be good.”

            “I got the olive oil.” Lauren handed the olive oil to Twister. “Need any help in the kitchen?”

            “Actually, that would be great!” replied Twister excitedly.

            Lois’ phone rang. He grabbed it and looked at the caller I.D.

            “It’s Black Dawn,” said Lois, his eyes full of fear.

            “Shit.” Twister gulped loudly. “Um, Lauren, can you just…?” She trailed off.

            Lauren nodded slowly.

            Twister took a deep breath. “I’ll take it.”

            “No, I will. You guys stay here and make the pancakes. Also, I’d like to double my order.” He quickly left, closing the kitchen double doors behind himself.

            “Stress eating,” said Lauren quietly.

            Twister nodded. “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she said, though she didn’t sound completely convinced. She hoped Lauren couldn’t hear the uncertainty in her voice.

            Lois came back a couple of minutes later, a relieved smile on his face as Twister and Lauren mixed chocolate chips into the pancake batter.

            “Hey,” said Twister, smiling at Lois. “Is everything good?”

            “Well, it wasn’t about Harvey. It was more about the Ringmaster.”

            “Why, what’s wrong with her?” asked Twister worriedly. “Is she okay?”

            “Well, Black Dawn said that there’s something going on with the Ringmaster’s darkness. She said not to worry too much, but it’s better if we don’t go back until they fix the problem.”

            “Oh…okay, I guess. How long will that take?”

            “I don’t know. Listen, I know you’re probably worried about the Ringmaster. But let’s just make pancakes, okay?”

            Twister nodded hesitantly. “Okay, sure.”

           

            ***

 

 

 

            A bit more time went by before the Ringmaster starting whimpering and held her abdomen again.

            “Uh-oh,” said Harvey, hopping up.

            The rest of the villains started to leave the room when the Ringmaster’s darkness took over.

            Harvey tried to grab her, but she was too fast. She hurried after Mortimer. Mortimer tried to get away from her by running down the hall, while Harvey ran after the Ringmaster.

            Mortimer found himself cornered. He bit his lip. He didn’t want to fight his friend.

            “Ringmaster! Snap out of it!” yelled Harvey.

            The Ringmaster laughed darkly. “Who do you think you are?” she asked, in a low, dark voice.

            Harvey tried to grab her, but she easily dodged him.

            “Cute,” said the Ringmaster, with a sinister smile.

            “Ringmaster. Come on. Please.”

            “Don’t worry. I’ll take it easy on you.” The Ringmaster started her advance towards Harvey.

            “I’m not going to fight you,” said Harvey, putting his arms behind his back.

            “Good. That will make things much easier for me.” The Ringmaster brought up her inner darkness.

            “Hey! Over here!” yelled Mortimer. “I’m the one you want!”

            The Ringmaster gave a dark laugh that Harvey really didn’t like. He was very concerned for Mortimer’s safety.

            When the Ringmaster turned around and started heading towards Mortimer, Mortimer yelled, “Grab her!”

            The Ringmaster spun around, but it was too late. Harvey grabbed her and sort of pulled her down onto the ground, where she fell out of his grasp and just laid there for a second with her eyes closed.

            “Is she okay?” asked Mortimer worriedly.

            “I think she’s just coming out of it,” said Harvey. “But stand back just in case.”

            Mortimer took a few steps back.

            A second later, the Ringmaster opened her eyes and looked at Harvey.

            “Harvey? Hey. What happened?”

            “The darkness takeover.”

            “Oh, no, not again!”

            “It’s fine, you didn’t hurt anyone,” said Mortimer.

            “Are you sure? You’re both fine?” pressed the Ringmaster, as she got up from the floor.

            The boys nodded.

            “The Ringmaster sighed. “Harvey, can we please torture Mike?”

            “Yeah,” said Harvey. “Of course. Come on, let’s go.”

            They went back to the torture room.

            “I want to go in by myself,” said the Ringmaster.

            “Are you sure?” asked Harvey.

            “I’m sure. He’s been in there all night and like, half the day. I’m sure he’s broken by now.”

            The Ringmaster took her torture bag and went into the room.

            Mike stared at her.

            “How are you?” asked the Ringmaster.

            “I’m good. How are you?”

            _How is he not broken yet?_ wondered the Ringmaster.

            _Hang in there,_ said Harvey.

            “Where’s your partner?” asked Mike.

            “I’m fine, and he’s watching.”

            “Watching, huh?”

            The Ringmaster nodded as she fiddled with one of her knives.

            “You don’t know what he’s up to, do you?”

            The Ringmaster scoffed. “He’s not up to anything.”

            “Oh, really now?”

            The Ringmaster ignored her victim, until he said, “He’s going to kill you, you know.”

            “He wouldn’t do that,” said the Ringmaster, grabbing another knife out of her bag.

            “Not right now,” said Mike. “You’re useful to him. But once you’re no longer of use to him, what do you think he’ll do?”

            At this point, Harvey threw down his headphones and left the monitor room.

            The Ringmaster’s resolve started to crack at this point, and she wavered a bit. She then grabbed her gun. She fully intended to kill Mike with a single bullet.

            “He’s evil, Ringmaster,” said Mike. “This is what he does. He manipulates people. Just like he’s doing with his fiancée. He makes you believe he’s your friend. That he cares. That you can trust him.”

            The Ringmaster’s resolve was cracking more the longer she stayed in the room with Mike. But she couldn’t move. The things Mike said were making her think. They were making her confused, unsure, and terrified.

            “He doesn’t care about you. He’s just using you. He’s trying to get you on his side because you’re more power for him.”

            The Ringmaster was now facing Mike, her eyes full of fear and sadness, and shaking noticeably.

            “What did you think?” asked Mike. “That he actually cared?”

            “Well, I just, I…just…”

            The Ringmaster could not find the words, or any words, for that matter.

            “No emotional attachments,” said Mike smoothly.

            “How do you even know about-?”

            “Once he’s done with you, you’ll be the one strapped down to this table. You’re all just pawns in his little game-“

            “Ringmaster!” cried Harvey, bursting into the room and cutting off Mike.

            “That is, unless you kill him first,” continued Mike.

            “Ringmaster. Look at me. What is going on in here?”

            “Spare yourself-and your friends-a horrible fate.”

            “Ringmaster,” said Harvey.

            The Ringmaster looked at Harvey.

            “Make your choice, Ringmaster,” said Mike.

            The Ringmaster whimpered.

            “Ringmaster? Is everything okay?” asked Harvey. He started heading towards the Ringmaster.

            The Ringmaster pointed her gun towards him. “St-stay back.” Her voice and her face were full of fear.

            Harvey put his arms up defensively. “Ringmaster, put down the gun, okay?”

            “Shoot him,” snarled Mike from behind her.

            The gun shook in the Ringmaster’s hands.

            “Give me the gun,” said Harvey.

            “No,” said the Ringmaster.

            “One bullet. Right between the eyes,” said Mike.

            “Come on,” said Harvey. “Just hand it over.”

            “Shoot him!”

            The Ringmaster screamed in anger, confusion, and fear, and shot Harvey right in the head.

 

            ***

 

 

            The Ringmaster woke up, crying and whimpering.

            “Ringmaster!” cried Harvey in relief.

            “No!” whined the Ringmaster. “No!”

            “Ringmaster.”

            “No! No! No, no, no!”

            “Ringmaster, Ringmaster, Ringmaster!”

            “Is she having a panic attack?” asked Mortimer.

            “Everyone just back up,” said Harvey.

            The Ringmaster kept repeating, “No! No! No!”

            “What’s going on?” asked Silver.

           “I’ve seen this before. It can happen with extreme darkness takeover. I’ve got to try and break through to her.”

            “Ringmaster! Ringmaster?”

            The Ringmaster stopped screaming, “No!” and just whimpered, rocking back and forth.

            “Ringmaster,” said Harvey again.

            The Ringmaster whimpered. Then she looked up. “Harvey?” she asked slowly.

            “It’s me. Are you okay?”

            “I…think so.” The Ringmaster took some deep breaths. “What happened?”

            “Another moment of darkness takeover. Then you passed out for a minute.”

            “Did I hurt anyone?” asked the Ringmaster.

            “No,” lied Mortimer, hiding his scraped up arm.

            “Come on, guys,” said Black Dawn. She ushered Silver and Mortimer out of the room.

            When they came out to the living room, everyone else looked up from the movie they were watching.

            “Is she okay?” asked Tom.

            Black Dawn nodded.

            “Mortimer, you’re bleeding!” cried Frank.

            “Shh!” said Mortimer. “It’s nothing.”

            “Did she do that?” asked the Dark Lord.

            “Yeah, did she?” asked the Ringmaster from behind them.

            Everyone looked back.

            “It’s nothing,” said Mortimer. He smiled at her. “Don’t worry.”

            The Ringmaster nodded and looked at her feet.

 

            ***

 

            The Ringmaster followed Harvey around for the rest of the day. Harvey grabbed a few different medications, especially painkillers, and used his powers to separate the ingredients to find a new concoction to help the Ringmaster.

            Suddenly the Ringmaster cried, “Oh, no, not again!”

            Harvey was immediately at the Ringmaster’s side. A second later, the Ringmaster breathed a huge sigh of relief.

            “Everything okay?” asked Harvey. “Are you good?”

            “Yeah. I just thought I was going to have another episode, because the last two times it happened, I had period cramps.”

            Harvey’s head snapped up. “What did you say?”

            “When the darkness takeover happened, it matched up with my period cramps?” It was more a question than a statement.

            “Hang on. If we can get rid of your period cramps, then the darkness takeover might go away.”

            “Yeah…that’s gonna be a problem. I’ve tried pills for my period cramps before, and nothing works.”

            “Maybe my darkness,” Harvey said, more to himself than anyone else.

            The Ringmaster tilted her head to the side. “I thought you already said you couldn’t use your darkness to take pain away.”

            “Not by itself,” said Harvey thoughtfully. “But maybe in a more concentrated form, mixed with other pain relieving ingredients.”

            “Maybe it’ll work!” said the Ringmaster hopefully.

            “There’s a good chance it will,” said Harvey encouragingly. “You might want to get a book or something if you’re going to sit there. This could take some time.”

            The Ringmaster read one of the books Harvey had given her as he worked. She heard him talking to himself every once in a while.

            “Just put that in there…okay…mix that around…there we go.”

            The Ringmaster was about to ask how it was going when he said, “Okay. They’re ready.”

            “Awesome! Do they work?”

            “I think so. So you take one every 12 hours. However, they do weaken your powers, so you’re going to have to eat extra chocolate.”

            “I have no problem with that.” The Ringmaster popped one of the pills.

            “I have another idea!” said Harvey excitedly.

            “What is it?”

            “It’s a surprise.” The Ringmaster smiled and stuck her nose back in the book. She had only finished a few pages when Harvey sang, “It’s ready!”

            He showed it to the Ringmaster, who frowned at it. She sloshed the green liquid around in the jar.

            Harvey chuckled darkly. “It’s for Mike.” He gave the Ringmaster a dark smile. “Wanna have some fun?”

 

 

             **A/N: Well, I did it. This is a 6200 word chapter. I'm very proud. Hopefully you guys enjoy it. Thank you for the kudos, guest!**

**NEU-on or before Sept 25**

 


	50. Chapter 50-The First Test

           

            The Ringmaster hesitated halfway to the torture room, remembering her dream.

            “Harvey, I don’t think I can do this.”

            “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

            “Um, well…when I was passed out, I had this dream where…um…”

            “You can tell me.”

“Mike just went crazy! He started trying to divide and conquer. He turned me against you. That’s all I can remember. I woke up after that. Just as I shot you.”

            “You shot me?”

            The Ringmaster nodded. Harvey chuckled lightly.

            The Ringmaster looked up. “What’s funny?”

            “Just, the thought of that.”

            “What? Me shooting you?”

            “Yeah.”

            The Ringmaster started laughing too. “I guess it is.” She stopped laughing and bit her lip. “What if I really did do it?”

            “Why would you?”

            The Ringmaster gave a small smile. “I don’t know.”

            “Just the fact that you’re worried about it means that you probably won’t. Honestly, I think Twister or Lois might shoot me. Like, I’m waiting for one of them to pull a gun on me.”

            The Ringmaster laughed. “Could you imagine?”

            Harvey gave a small chuckle. “Yeah, kinda.”

            “They’re still just adjusting,” said the Ringmaster.

            “Do you know how long that’ll take?” asked Harvey.

            “8 years.”

            Harvey shot her a surprised look. “Is that how long it took with you?”

            “That’s how long it took to get Twister to trust me.”

            “What about Lois?”

            “Well, he didn’t have a problem with me because I didn’t try to kill him.”

            “Ouch. Burn,” said Harvey with a chuckle.

            The Ringmaster smiled.

            Harvey handed her a Kit Kat bar that he had been keeping in his black bag. “You should eat this.”

            “Thanks.” The Ringmaster unwrapped the chocolate and took a bite.

            “Are you still adjusting?” asked Harvey.

            “Kind of. I don’t know. It’s kind of different with you. Not just for me, but for everybody.”

            “How so?”

            “I mean, you’re a Wickston. Your father was, like, super famous. He did a lot for this team.”

            “Yeah. He was great.”

            “I mean, he turned down an invitation for the House of Villains.”

            “He did?”

            “Yeah. You didn’t know?”

            “No, he never told me.”

            “He loved you, you know.”

            Harvey nodded. “Yeah. I do know.”

            The Ringmaster crumpled up her Kit Kat wrapper. “Hey, come on. Let’s go torture Mike.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Yeah.”

 

            ***

 

            “Hey,” said Twister. “I just got off the phone with Black Dawn.”

            “And?” asked Lois.

            “Everything’s okay. The Ringmaster’s darkness problems seem to be solved. She seems to be stable.”

            “That’s good!” said Lois.

            Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

            “I’ll get it,” said Twister, since Lauren was in the bathroom.

            She opened the door. There were two women standing there.

            “Hi,” said one of them. “Is Lauren here?”

            “Yeah. Who are you guys?”

            “We’re her friends.”

            “Okay. Come in. She’s just in the bathroom.”

            The girls came in.

            “Lois?” asked one of them.

            “Yeah?” said Lois, looking up. He suddenly realized what he’d done.

            The other woman looked at Twister. “Twister?”

            “Um…no?” said Twister.

            Lauren came out of the bathroom.

            “Lauren, your friends are here,” said Twister.

            “Oh, my gosh! What…what are you guys doing here?”

            “The more important question is, why are you hanging out with Lois and Twister?” asked one of Lauren’s friends.

            “And why didn’t you call us back?” asked the other one.

            “Um…well…” Lauren finally sighed. “Okay. You guys should sit down. This is going to be…a bit of an explanation.”

 

            ***

 

            Mike had been waiting in fear for the entire night and half the day, unsure when his captors would be returning and what they would do to him when they did come back. When he heard the door open, a fresh flow of tears started.

            “Ew, it reeks in here!” said the Ringmaster, pinching her nose.

            “Hang on, I’ll take care of it,” said Harvey, taking out a bottle of Febreze. “He’s been in here for about 16 hours. He just went to the bathroom.”

            “That’s not gonna fix things,” said the Ringmaster.

            “It will when I mix it with my darkness.” Harvey brought up his darkness in front of the Febreze and sprayed it all around in a circle. “I have to bleach my table anyway.” He looked at the Ringmaster. “Is that any better?”

            The Ringmaster nodded. “So, will you tell me what’s in the green bottle now?”

            “This will heighten Mike’s pain receptors by 200%,” explained Harvey, as he put some of the liquid into a syringe.

            Mike silently cried in the background upon hearing this news.

            “Oh,” said the Ringmaster. “Huh?”

            “Things will be 200% more painful for him.”

            “Ohhhh,” said the Ringmaster knowingly.

            Harvey tried to inject Mike with the needle, but he struggled and tried to get away.

            “Please! Please don’t do this!” he begged.

            “I thought we missed all the begging,” said the Ringmaster.

            “Just hold still,” said Harvey.

            “Want me to get a knife?” asked the Ringmaster.

            “Not at the moment.”

            Mike stopped squirming. “Please…just…don’t.”

            “This is happening. The less you fight it, the easier it will be.”

            Mike stopped moving and Harvey was able to inject him.

            “Knife,” said Harvey.

            The Ringmaster smiled and brought Harvey a knife.

            “Does it kick in right away?” asked the Ringmaster. “I thought you had to wait a few minutes for it to work.”

            “Not mine. There’s darkness in it, so that way it’ll work immediately.”

            “Oh, okay.”

            “Watch this.”

            He made a tiny cut on Mike’s cheek. Mike screamed so loud that his captors had to cover their ears.

 

 

**Well, this is another very short chapter. The first one in a while, actually. Hope you guys enjoy! The next chapter will be long.**

 

**NEU-on or before December 30, 2018**


	51. Chapter 51-The Big Fight and the Next Morning

            “So, how long are you going to keep him alive for?” asked the Ringmaster, as she and Harvey washed their tools and their hands at the double sinks.

            “The weekend,” said Harvey. “Until Monday, at least. Probably Tuesday, at least.”

            “Cool!” said the Ringmaster. “Are we gonna have to keep injecting him every 12 hours or so?”

            “No. It’ll work as long as he’s alive.”

            “Are we going to use that liquid on all your victims?”

            “Possibly,” replied Harvey. “I just made it especially for Mike because of what he did to you yesterday.”

            “Oh. Yeah.” The Ringmaster smiled to herself.

            “I want you to take part in every torture session.” Harvey smiled at the Ringmaster.

            “Yeah?”

            “Yeah. You’re still learning, and I want to teach you. That involves you taking part in every session. Maybe you can even do a session by yourself!”

            “Not with Mike.”

            “Does this have anything to do with your dream?”

            “Not as much as you might think.”

            “We should talk about that some more.”

            “What? My dream?”

            “Yeah.”

            The Ringmaster shook her head. “We don’t have to.”

            “Obviously it’s bothering you.”

            “It was, but not so much anymore.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yes, I’m sure,” said the Ringmaster, in a slightly annoyed tone.

            “Ok. Sorry,” apologized Harvey. “I don’t mean to pry.”

            “It’s okay. I’m getting in the shower first!” she cried.

            “I’m getting in the shower first!” cried Harvey, a second after the Ringmaster. “Crap.”

            The Ringmaster giggled. “Ha! You lose!” she said triumphantly. She took Harvey’s hat and handed it to him. “Out.”

            “Want me to get you a towel?” asked Harvey.

            “Sure. It’s on the back of my door.”

            Harvey brought her the towel. “Here you go.”

            “Thanks. I won’t be long.” She closed the door in Harvey’s face.

            Harvey knocked on the door. “By not long, you mean-?”

            “Go away!” cried the Ringmaster.

            “And by that, you mean-?”

            “I’m gonna punch you!”

            Harvey chuckled. “Alright, enjoy!”

            “Thanks!”

            Harvey walked out to the living room and grabbed a chocolate bar out of the bowl. “Hey, guys.”

            “Hey,” said everybody.

            “Anybody wanna do something?” asked Harvey.

            “You mean, for 15 minutes while you’re waiting for the shower?” asked Mortimer.

            Silver chuckled.

            “Yeah. That’s it,” said Harvey, tossing a candy bar at Mortimer, who caught it.

            “That was supposed to hit you,” said Harvey.

            “I’m aware,” said Mortimer with a chuckle, unwrapping his candy bar.

            Harvey whacked Mortimer in the back of the head.

            “Hey!” said Mortimer with a smile.

            He hopped over the back of the couch and went after Harvey, who hurried away. He tackled Harvey in the kitchen. Harvey managed to flip him over and pin him down. Mortimer tried to push him off.

            “Get off!” cried Mortimer. “Get off! Let me up!”

            Harvey climbed up, then offered his hand to Mortimer, who took it. Harvey pulled his friend up.

            “Wanna sit at the table?” asked Harvey.

           Mortimer nodded. “Sure.”

            “Alright, you sit, I’m gonna go get some chocolate for us,” said Harvey.

            “So what do you wanna do?” asked Mortimer. “Play a game?”

            “I was thinking 20 questions. Get to know each other a little better.”

            “Sounds like fun. Is this a way to make up for the fact that you’ve been spending so much time with the Ringmaster?”

            “Maybe a little bit.”

            Mortimer nodded.

            “I didn’t just come here for the Ringmaster. I mean, at first I did.” Harvey was putting chocolate bars in a bowl. But I want to get to know all of you guys. I want to teach all of you. The Ringmaster is just first, because, well, she was working on it. But I’ll get to all of you. I promise.” Harvey set a bowl full of chocolate on the kitchen table, then sat down. Mortimer grabbed a bag of M&Ms and popped a few in his mouth.

            “Ok. You go first,” said Harvey, taking out an Aero bar and unwrapping it.

            Mortimer swallowed the candy that was in his mouth, and then asked, “Am I next?”

            Harvey hesitated with the candy bar halfway to his mouth. “Next in what?”

            “You know. To train, like, after you’re done with the Ringmaster.”

            Harvey took a bite of his Aero bar and nodded. He swallowed, and said, “Yes. You’re next. You’ve shown the most interest and I think you have the talent.”

            “You think _I_ have the talent?” Mortimer asked in surprise.

            “Why are you so shocked?” asked Harvey. “I mean, you’re here, aren’t you?”

            “Where else would I be?”

            “No, I mean, you’re in Darkstar Corp.”

            “There’s a big difference between being in Darkstar Corp. and having you tell me that you think I have the talent. Your turn to ask a question.”

            “Okay,” said Harvey. “Does what you just said have anything to do with the fact that I’m a Wickston?”

            “Yeah, I thought I made that clear.”

            “Of course it is,” said Harvey.

            “I don’t get why it matters.”

            Harvey sighed. “It’s complicated. You know what, can we not talk about it?”

            “Okay,” said Mortimer. He smiled. “My turn.” He grabbed another candy bar out of the bowl. “Do you think Lois and Twister will ever like you?”

            “I don’t know.” Harvey shook his head. He tilted his head to the side. “It’s definitely a weird situation.”

            Mortimer chuckled. “I bet you never thought that you’d run into one of your former victims.”

            “Considering Lois was the only one I didn’t kill, no. I didn’t expect to run into him.”

            Mortimer gave a small smile. “Right.”

            “I don’t think that Lois and I could ever be friends. Because of our past.”

            “Maybe you could. You never know.”

            Harvey shrugged. “Yeah. You never know.” He smiled. “My turn. What do you hope to get out of my training program?”

            Harvey saw darkness in Mortimer’s eyes as he said, “I want to kill someone.”

            Harvey started laughing.

            “Why is that funny?” asked Mortimer with a confused look on his face.

            Harvey stopped laughing and looked confused as well. “Wait, you’re serious?”

            “Yeah.”

            “That’s all?” asked Harvey.

            “Yeah, I want to kill someone. Is that so bad?”

            Harvey looked at his friend for a moment, then got up. “Come with me. Bring the bowl of candy and your soda.”

            “Okay.” Mortimer picked up the bowl and his root beer. “What are we doing?”

            “I want to teach you an important lesson.”

            “You’re not gonna spank me, are you?” asked Mortimer, and they both had a laugh.

            “I want to show you one of the most important things about being a villain. My dad showed me this when I was ten.”

            “So, I’m like, 24 years off the mark, then.”

            “You know what, 34 is still young.”

            “I feel old.”

            “You’re not, trust me.”

            “Thanks, man.”

            “Pay attention, because this stuff is important.”

            “Yes, okay, I will.”

            “Great.” Harvey led Mortimer to the monitor room. He sat down on one of the chairs and put on a pair of headphones. He pointed his finger downwards. “Sit,” he instructed.

            Mortimer went to sit on one of the chairs.

            “No, not there, it’s not-“

            Mortimer landed on his butt as the chair slid out from underneath him.

            “Not close enough. And…the wheels…Here.” He helped Mortimer up. “You have to actually sit in the chair.”

            “Oh, shut up,” said Mortimer, giving Harvey a playful shove. He sat in the chair, deliberately pulling it forward under himself.

            “Okay. Keep your headphones off for now,” said Harvey, when Mortimer moved to pick them up.

            Mortimer nodded. “Got it.”

            Harvey put his own headphones back on. He began setting up the monitor system.

            “So what are we doing exactly?” asked Mortimer.

            “I want to teach you something important, and my new victim, Emily Rose, is the perfect subject.”

            “What are you teaching me?”

            “Wow, you are really impatient, huh?” said Harvey, without looking up from his keyboard.

            “Sorry, I’ll stop.”

            A few more minutes went by while Harvey set up.

            Harvey smiled. “You’re tapping your foot. And fidgeting.”

            “Sorry.”

            Harvey chuckled. “Don’t worry about it.”

            When everything was set up, Harvey used a finger to call Mortimer over.

            “Come here,” he said.

            Mortimer pulled his chair over and sat beside Harvey.

            “It’s not just about the kill,” Harvey said in a serious voice. He gave a sinister smile. “There’s something more. Something better.”

            Mortimer was getting more and more excited. “Like what?” he asked.

            Harvey chuckled. “Don’t say anything. I’ll start.”

            _Start what?_ thought Mortimer, but didn’t say a thing.

            “Well, well, well,” said Harvey. “Hello.”

            Mortimer was about to say hello back, but was cut short when he heard Emily Rose scream in fear. “Who’s there?” He realized that Harvey had been speaking to Emily.

            Harvey chuckled in a way that made a shiver run up Mortimer’s spine.

            Mortimer had been looking down, but was now staring directly at the screen. His attention had been caught when Emily screamed.

            A few tears rolled down Emily’s cheeks.

            “I can’t tell you that,” said Harvey in a mockingly playful tone. “Then it wouldn’t be any fun.”

            Emily dove into her bed and crawled under her covers. Tears continued to run down her cheeks, and she sniffled.

            “Now, now, stop crying,” said Harvey.

            “Mom! Dad!” Emily screamed at the top of her lungs.

            “Crap. That can’t be good,” said Mortimer, turning to shoot a worried look at Harvey.

            “Actually, this will be more fun.”

            “How?”

            Harvey ignored the question and turned back to the screens as Emily’s parents swung open her door and rushed into the room. He motioned to Mortimer to do the same.

            “What’s wrong, sweetie?” asked Emily’s mother.

            “A man is talking to me,” sobbed Emily.

            Fear, worry, and confusion presented themselves in Emily’s parents’ eyes.

            “I’ll search the room,” said Emily’s father. “Ask her more questions. Find out everything you can.”

            He went to the closet and opened it as Emily’s mother started asking her daughter questions that would what their next move would be. After all, they needed a bit more information to determine what the best course of action to take was.

            “Honey, how long have you been hearing this man?” Emily’s mother asked. Her voice shook with a bit of fear.

            “Just…just today.” Emily wiped away some tears.

            “What does he look like?”

            “I don’t see him. I just hear him,” whispered Emily.

            “You…you just hear him?” Emily’s mother asked, confused. Emily’s father looked over to his daughter with worry.

            “Honey, what do you mean, you just hear him?” he asked.

            “He’s not exactly a real person. He was in my nightmares, and now he’s a voice in my head.”

            “They don’t believe you,” said Harvey. “They’ll never believe you.”

            “Stop telling me that stuff!” screamed Emily, and her parents ran over and hugged her, looking extremely worried.

            “He just told me you don’t believe me,” said Emily. “Don’t you hear him?”

            Her father could only shake his head.

            “No, honey, we can’t,” said her mother.

            “Why?” was all Emily could ask. “Why is this happening to me?”

            “Well, honey,” her mother explained, “sometimes people hear voices in their head. They need a special doctor, and special medication.”

            “We just have to make you an appointment, and get you the medication you need,” said her father.

            “That’s it?” asked Emily, wiping away her tears. “I just need some medicine?”

            Her parents nodded.

            “They’re wrong, Emily,” said Harvey. “The medication won’t help.”

            Emily bit her lip. “What do I do about the voices until then?” she asked.

            “Just ignore them, and remember, they’re not real,” her father said.

            “Everything will be okay, sweetie,” Emily’s mother said, hugging her.

            “Okay, mommy,” said Emily. “I’ll ignore the voices.”

            “Good luck with that,” said Harvey, punctuating his sentence with a chuckle. He then took off his headphones, and put them on the desk with a satisfied smile.

            Emily’s parents went downstairs while Emily turned on the TV in her room. They talked for a couple of minutes about their situation, then placed a call to a psychiatrist and made an appointment next Friday for Emily.

            “So what’s the plan now?” asked Mortimer.

            “Keep talking to her. Then, after a few months, start making appearances in her life.”

            “Cool.”

            “But first, you’re going to have a go.”

            “What?” exclaimed Mortimer.

            “Yeah. It’s part of the lesson. I’ve taught you what you need for this part. Now you do it.”

            “Do what?” asked Mortimer, fumbling with the headphones.

            “Have a little fun with her,” said Harvey. “Mock her. Toy with her. Make her believe things. Tell her things.”

            Mortimer put the headphones on the desk. “No. I…I don’t think I can.”

            Harvey put a hand on Mortimer’s shoulder. “Yes. You can.”

            Mortimer shook his head. “I’m not ready.”

            “Mortimer, you’re ready. Now come on!”

            Mortimer took a deep breath as Harvey slid his headphones on over his ears.

            “Now she can hear you,” he said.

            Mortimer cleared his throat. “Hello, Emily.”

            Emily didn’t even look up from the TV.

            “I know you can hear me,” said Mortimer darkly. “Now look up here.”

            “You’re not real,” said Emily.

            “She doesn’t sound scared,” whispered Mortimer. “What do I do?”

            “Keep going, you’re doing great.” Harvey gave Mortimer a thumbs up, which made him feel a little better, and he smiled at Harvey.

            He turned back to the screen. “Emily, look up.”

            “You’re not real,” repeated Emily.

            “That’s what you think,” said Mortimer in a dark voice.

            “Stop tricking me.” This time Harvey and Mortimer could hear a bit of fear in Emily’s voice. They were making headway.

            Harvey sent Mortimer a mind message. _Tell her something._

 _Like what?_ Mortimer questioned.

            _Something evil. Dark. Terrifying._

Mortimer smiled maliciously as an idea formed in his mind.

            “Now, Emily, what I’m about to tell you to do will be difficult, but things will be a lot worse if you don’t do it.”

            Harvey looked at Mortimer.

            “I want you to kill your parents.”

            “I’m not going to do that,” said Emily.

            Mortimer laughed maliciously. “Then there will be consequences.” He took off his headphones and placed them on the desk. His heart was pounding and his hands were shaking with excitement.

            “Are you okay, buddy?” asked Harvey, patting Mortimer on the back. He gave a light chuckle.

            Mortimer was breathing fast and hard. “I just…I feel so…”

            “I know. Take a few deep breaths.”

            “My heart is beating so fast. My hands are shaking. I feel really crazy. I feel high in a weird way. Is that normal?”

            “Totally. It’s the thrill of it all.”

            Harvey put his hand on the desk and lifted it up. A glass of water appeared under his hand and he handed it to Mortimer. “Here. Have something to drink.”

            Mortimer drank the entire glass in a few seconds. “I need more,” he said. He walked to the kitchen and Harvey followed him.

            Mortimer took a water bottle out of the fridge and drank the entire thing within a few seconds. He then went back to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of soda. Harvey grabbed it from him and put it back, handing him water instead.

            “No soda for 48 hours,” he said. “Trust me. It’ll make things happen inside you that’ll make you feel even worse. It’ll mess up your darkness and scramble your system.”

            “I don’t feel stable,” said Mortimer.

            Harvey opened a cupboard and pulled out a box of full size Hershey bars. He tossed the unopened box to Mortimer.

            “The chocolate will help.”

            Mortimer ripped open the box, but before he could eat the chocolate, he collapsed to the floor in a heap.

            “Shit,” muttered Harvey. He knelt beside Mortimer and shook him.

            “Mortimer!” said Harvey, trying to wake him up. When that didn’t work, he took another water bottle out of the fridge and threw it in Mortimer’s face. He woke up and sat up, looking at Harvey in confusion.

            “Did I faint?” he asked.

            “Just a little.” Harvey handed him the water bottle.

            “Oh. Am I okay?”

            “You’ll be fine. It’s just a side effect. I fainted quite a few times when I was in training. It’s totally normal.” Harvey handed Mortimer the chocolate. “Eat. Drink.”

            “And be merry?” asked Mortimer with a laugh.

            Mortimer and Harvey sat at the dining room table. Mortimer took a big drink of his water and a few bites of chocolate.

            “My face is all wet now,” said Mortimer.

            Harvey chuckled. “I’ll get you a towel.”

            While Mortimer waited for Harvey to get back, Silver rushed into the kitchen.

            “Hey,” said Mortimer.

            “Hey. I need chocolate,” said Silver, smiling at Mortimer.

            Mortimer handed Silver one of his Hershey bars.

            “Thanks.” Silver took a bite of the chocolate bar. “What’s with you?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Are you high?”

            “Harvey and I just had a session.”

            “What kind of session? Did you get to torture somebody?”

            “Not exactly. I got to talk to one of his victims.”

            “That’s it?”

            “I told her to kill her parents.”

            Silver’s chocolate bar hit the ground.

 

            ***

 

            Harvey was on his way to get Mortimer a towel when he saw the Ringmaster sitting on the couch with her nose stuck in one of the books Harvey had given her.

            Harvey paused. “Hey, you didn’t tell me the bathroom was free.”

            “Oh, yeah,” said the Ringmaster, without looking up from her book. “Bathroom’s free.”

            Harvey could detect something else in the Ringmaster’s voice. Something strange. But he couldn’t tell what.

            “Everything okay?” he asked.

            “Yup.” But Harvey could tell it wasn’t. Not really.

            Despite his concerns, he walked off and grabbed Mortimer a towel, telling himself that he would go back and talk to her later. Obviously something was going on. He hadn’t known the Ringmaster very long, but he could tell when she wasn’t feeling well.

            Harvey headed back. When he got to the kitchen, he heard Dark Mortimer and the Silver Masquerade talking in hushed excitement.

            Harvey went into the kitchen.

            “Here, Mortimer,” said Harvey, tossing Mortimer the towel.

            “Thanks,” said Mortimer, using the towel to dry his face off.

            “Mortimer was just telling me about how he told a little girl to kill her parents,” said Silver.

            “Yeah, it was great.” Harvey chuckled. “I need a minute alone with him.”

            “Later,” said Silver casually, grabbing a root beer from the fridge and leaving the room.

            “So-“ began Harvey.

            Silver popped back in and interrupted. “Sorry, but if you see Lois, please tell him that I’ve called him a few times.”

            “I think he’s out with Twister,” said Harvey.

            When Silver was out of the room, Harvey started up the conversation again.

            “So, what is your plan with this whole Emily Rose thing?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Well, clearly since you told her to kill her parents, you have some sort of plan. I want to hear about it. Come on. Tell me everything!” Harvey leaned forward with excitement and anticipation, an eager look on his face.

            “Exactly what I said,” said Mortimer. “I’m going to get her to kill her parents.”

            “You’re really going to do it, aren’t you?”

            Mortimer nodded earnestly.

            “How?”

            “If she doesn’t, the consequences will be harsh. Either way, I’ll get to have my fun.”

            “I’ll let you do this with me,” said Harvey. “You won’t get to do it all. We’ll be partners in this kill.”

            Mortimer got up and started jumping around, yelling, “Yes, yes, yes! Yes!”

            Harvey laughed at his friend who was going crazy like he was a kid who had just been told he was going to Disneyland.

            “Okay, okay, calm down,” said Harvey. “Listen, I’m excited too, but right now I have to go talk to the Ringmaster. I stopped to talk to her when I was on my way to get you a towel and she seemed a little upset.”

            “Oh. Well, that’s unfortunate. I hope she’s okay.”

            “I’m sure she’ll be fine. I haven’t known you for very long, but it didn’t seem like anything too serious.”

            “Alright. Well, I guess I’ll talk to you later.”

            “See you later. Remember, no soda for 48 hours.”

            “Gotcha,” said Mortimer.

 

            ***

 

            Harvey went to find the Ringmaster, but found she was no longer on the couch.

            Harvey went to her room, where he found her door slightly ajar. He knocked on the door.

            “Ringmaster? Can I come in?”

            “Yeah,” said the Ringmaster, without any real emotion in her voice.

            Harvey went inside to see the Ringmaster with her nose still in the book.

            “Hey,” he said slowly.

            The Ringmaster put up one hand and gave a half-hearted wave. She didn’t look up from the book. Her eyes didn’t even shift. Harvey strode purposefully towards the Ringmaster and grabbed the book out of her hands.

            “Hey!” exclaimed the Ringmaster.

            “Hey,” said Harvey, calmly.

            The Ringmaster sighed loudly. “What?” she snapped.

            “What’s wrong?” asked Harvey.

            “What are you talking about?” the Ringmaster questioned.

            “Ok, look, I know I haven’t been here long, but I can tell when something’s bothering you. So, what is it?”

            Harvey gave her a concerned but serious look that said he needed to know what was going on so he could help.

            Tears began forming in the Ringmaster’s eyes as she said, “How could you?”

            Harvey’s worried expression changed to one of confusion. “Huh? How could I what?”

            As far as he knew, he hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet the Ringmaster seemed angry and sad.

            “Train Mortimer!” yelled the Ringmaster. “I’m supposed to be first! You said you weren’t gonna train him-or anyone else-until you were done with me!”

            She looked up at Harvey with tears in her eyes. “Are you…done with me?”

            “What? No. We’re not finished. Far from it. Mortimer and I are just doing a little assignment together.” He gave the Ringmaster a reassuring smile. “I would never abandon you. And I’m not going to let you go out on your own until I’m sure you’re ready.”

            The Ringmaster sniffed and wiped a few tears from her eyes. “Really?”

            “Of course,” said Harvey. He hugged the Ringmaster and gave a little chuckle. “You get worried over nothing.”

            The Ringmaster laughed a little. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

            “Hey, I know what’ll make you feel better.” Harvey pulled back and smiled at the Ringmaster. “We should go torture Mike.”

           

                “Oh…yeah,” said the Ringmaster nervously. “Um…about that.” She looked down at her feet. “I sort of…already killed him.”

            Harvey started full on cracking up. The Ringmaster looked up to see Harvey doubled over in laughter, holding his stomach. When he was done wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, he looked up to see the Ringmaster smiling at him.

            “I’m sorry,” said Harvey. The Ringmaster could hear the smile in his voice. He clapped a hand on her shoulder. “It is fitting that you would be the one to kill him, since he got to you so much. Did you at least give him some pain?”

            “Oh, yeah,” said the Ringmaster, the darkness flashing in her eyes for a split second.

           Harvey chuckled again. “Good. You wanna go get a soda?”

           “Sure,” said the Ringmaster, tossing the book aside and hopping up from the bed. “Race you! On your mark, get set, go!” she said as quickly as possible, then rushed off.

          “Hey, wait up!” cried Harvey.

         The Ringmaster got to the kitchen first and grabbed two root beers out of the fridge. Harvey wasn’t far behind, and the Ringmaster handed one of the sodas off to him.

         “Why are you so fast?” asked Harvey.

         “I just am,” said the Ringmaster, clanging her root beer against Harvey’s.

 

        ***

 

 

**This chapter will be finished on or before June 1.**


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